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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Temporal variation in plant-soil feedback controls succession.
Paul Kardol1, T Martijn Bezemer, Wim H van der Putten
1Netherlands Institute of Ecology NIOO-KNAW, Centre for Terrestrial Ecology, PO Box 40, 6666 ZG Heteren, The Netherlands. p.kardol@nioo.knaw.nl
Ecology Letters
|August 24, 2006
Summary
Soil biota influence plant communities differently across ecosystem development. Early-successional plants face negative feedback, while late-successional plants benefit, increasing plant diversity over time.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Science
- Soil Science
Background:
- Soil abiotic and biotic factors are crucial for plant community dynamics.
- The influence of soil biota on long-term vegetation changes remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how soil organisms affect vegetation changes over ecological succession.
- To determine the role of plant-soil interactions in plant community assembly and ecosystem development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized model systems with plants and soils from various successional stages.
- Assessed plant-soil feedback effects across different successional positions.
- Differentiated impacts of soil biota versus abiotic soil conditions.
Main Results:
- Observed negative plant-soil feedback for early-successional plants, neutral for mid-successional, and positive for late-successional species.
- Late-successional plants performed best in late-successional soils and worst in early-successional soils.
- Enhanced performance of late-successional plants led to increased plant community diversity.
Conclusions:
- Plant-soil interactions are dynamic and depend on ecosystem and plant successional stages.
- Soil biota, rather than abiotic factors, primarily drive these feedback effects.
- Temporal variations in plant-soil interactions significantly shape plant community assembly and ecosystem development.
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