Relative importance of competition and plant–soil feedback, their synergy, context dependency and implications for coexistence

TY - JOUR

T1 - Relative importance of competition and plant–soil feedback, their synergy, context dependency and implications for coexistence

AU - Lekberg, Ylva

AU - Bever, James D.

AU - Bunn , Rebecca A.

AU - Callaway, Ragan M.

AU - Hart, Miranda M.

AU - Kivlin, Stephanie N.

AU - Klironomos, John

AU - Larkin, Beau G.

AU - Maron, John L.

AU - Reinhart, Kurt O.

AU - Remke, Michael

AU - Van der Putten, Wim H.

N1 - 6562, TE; Data Archiving: data archived at Dryad

PY - 2018/6/12

Y1 - 2018/6/12

N2 - Abstract Plants interact simultaneously with each other and with soil biota, yet the relative importance of competition vs. plant?soil feedback (PSF) on plant performance is poorly understood. Using a meta-analysis of 38 published studies and 150 plant species, we show that effects of interspecific competition (either growing plants with a competitor or singly, or comparing inter- vs. intraspecific competition) and PSF (comparing home vs. away soil, live vs. sterile soil, or control vs. fungicide-treated soil) depended on treatments but were predominantly negative, broadly comparable in magnitude, and additive or synergistic. Stronger competitors experienced more negative PSF than weaker competitors when controlling for density (inter- to intraspecific competition), suggesting that PSF could prevent competitive dominance and promote coexistence. When competition was measured against plants growing singly, the strength of competition overwhelmed PSF, indicating that the relative importance of PSF may depend not only on neighbour identity but also density. We evaluate how competition and PSFs might interact across resource gradients; PSF will likely strengthen competitive interactions in high resource environments and enhance facilitative interactions in low-resource environments. Finally, we provide a framework for filling key knowledge gaps and advancing our understanding of how these biotic interactions influence community structure.

AB - Abstract Plants interact simultaneously with each other and with soil biota, yet the relative importance of competition vs. plant?soil feedback (PSF) on plant performance is poorly understood. Using a meta-analysis of 38 published studies and 150 plant species, we show that effects of interspecific competition (either growing plants with a competitor or singly, or comparing inter- vs. intraspecific competition) and PSF (comparing home vs. away soil, live vs. sterile soil, or control vs. fungicide-treated soil) depended on treatments but were predominantly negative, broadly comparable in magnitude, and additive or synergistic. Stronger competitors experienced more negative PSF than weaker competitors when controlling for density (inter- to intraspecific competition), suggesting that PSF could prevent competitive dominance and promote coexistence. When competition was measured against plants growing singly, the strength of competition overwhelmed PSF, indicating that the relative importance of PSF may depend not only on neighbour identity but also density. We evaluate how competition and PSFs might interact across resource gradients; PSF will likely strengthen competitive interactions in high resource environments and enhance facilitative interactions in low-resource environments. Finally, we provide a framework for filling key knowledge gaps and advancing our understanding of how these biotic interactions influence community structure.

KW - Additive interaction

KW - coexistence

KW - competition

KW - facilitation

KW - meta-analysis

KW - mutualist

KW - pathogen

KW - plant–soil feedback

KW - resource gradient

KW - soil biota

KW - international

UR - https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.487fq3m

U2 - 10.1111/ele.13093

DO - 10.1111/ele.13093

M3 - Article

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 21

SP - 1268

EP - 1281

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 8

ER -