Single introductions of soil biota and plants generate long-term legacies in soil and plant community assembly

TY - JOUR

T1 - Single introductions of soil biota and plants generate long-term legacies in soil and plant community assembly

AU - Wubs, E.R.J.

AU - van der Putten, W.H.

AU - Mortimer, S.R.

AU - Korthals, G.W.

AU - Duyts, H.

AU - Wagenaar, R.

AU - Bezemer, T.M.

N1 - 6715, TE; Data archiving: data archived in Figshare

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Recent demonstrations of the role of plant–soil biota interactions have challenged the conventional view that vegetation changes are mainly driven by changing abiotic conditions. However, while this concept has been validated under natural conditions, our understanding of the long‐term consequences of plant–soil interactions for above‐belowground community assembly is restricted to mathematical and conceptual model projections. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that one‐time additions of soil biota and plant seeds alter soil‐borne nematode and plant community composition in semi‐natural grassland for 20 years. Over time, aboveground and belowground community composition became increasingly correlated, suggesting an increasing connectedness of soil biota and plants. We conclude that the initial composition of not only plant communities, but also soil communities has a long‐lasting impact on the trajectory of community assembly.

AB - Recent demonstrations of the role of plant–soil biota interactions have challenged the conventional view that vegetation changes are mainly driven by changing abiotic conditions. However, while this concept has been validated under natural conditions, our understanding of the long‐term consequences of plant–soil interactions for above‐belowground community assembly is restricted to mathematical and conceptual model projections. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that one‐time additions of soil biota and plant seeds alter soil‐borne nematode and plant community composition in semi‐natural grassland for 20 years. Over time, aboveground and belowground community composition became increasingly correlated, suggesting an increasing connectedness of soil biota and plants. We conclude that the initial composition of not only plant communities, but also soil communities has a long‐lasting impact on the trajectory of community assembly.

KW - international

KW - Animals

KW - Soil Microbiology

KW - Biota

KW - Soil

KW - Plants

KW - Nematoda

KW - plant–soil biota interactions

KW - nature restoration

KW - whole-soil inoculation

KW - Community assembly

KW - soil legacy

UR - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7936724.v1

U2 - 10.1111/ele.13271

DO - 10.1111/ele.13271

M3 - Article

C2 - 31020756

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 22

SP - 1145

EP - 1151

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 7

ER -