Resistance of soil biota and plant growth to disturbance increases with plant diversity. (25th October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bennett, Jonathan A.; Koch, Alexander M.; Forsythe, Jennifer; Johnson, Nancy C.; Tilman, David; Klironomos, John
• Editors: Gessner, Mark
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 23:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 119
• Page End: 128
• Publication Date: 2019-10-25
• Subjects: Bacteria -- fungi -- microbial ecology -- mycorrhizas -- nematodes -- plant diversity -- primary productivity -- resistance -- soil biota -- stability; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.13408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: Plant diversity is critical to the functioning of ecosystems, potentially mediated in part by interactions with soil biota. Here, we characterised multiple groups of soil biota across a plant diversity gradient in a long‐term experiment. We then subjected soil samples taken along this gradient to drought, freezing and a mechanical disturbance to test how plant diversity affects the responses of soil biota and growth of a focal plant to these disturbances. High plant diversity resulted in soils that were dominated by fungi and associated soil biota, including increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and reduced plant‐feeding nematodes. Disturbance effects on the soil biota were reduced when plant diversity was high, resulting in higher growth of the focal plant in all but the frozen soils. These results highlight the importance of plant diversity for soil communities and their resistance to disturbance, with potential feedback effects on plant productivity. Abstract : Using soils from a long‐term biodiversity experiment, we show that plant diversity increases fungi and asociated soil biota, reduces plant antagonists, and thus increases focal plant growth. Further, biota from high plant diversity soils were more resistant to disturbance, thereby enhancing the resistance of focal plant growth to disturbance. These results highlight the critical roles that soil biota play on the functioning of ecosystems and their responses to global change.