Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Small-scale spatial variability in phylogenetic community structure during early plant succession depends on soil
Werner Ulrich1, Marcin Piwczyński, Markus Klemens Zaplata
1Chair of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Lwowska 1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland, ulrichw@umk.pl.
Abstract:
During early plant succession, the phylogenetic structure of a community changes in response to important environmental filters and emerging species interactions. We traced the development of temperate-zone plant communities during the first 7 years of primary succession on catchment soils to explore patterns of initial species assembly. We found pronounced small-scale differences in the phylogenetic composition of neighbouring plant assemblages and a large-scale trend towards phylogenetic evenness. This small-scale variability appears to be mediated by soil properties, particularly carbonate content. Therefore, abiotic environmental conditions might counteract or even supersede the effects of interspecific competition among closely related species, which are usually predicted to exhibit patterns of phylogenetic evenness. We conclude that theories on phylogenetic community composition need to incorporate effects of small-scale variability of environmental factors.
More Related Videos
09:23JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
Published on: March 21, 2025
10:31Isolation and Analysis of Microbial Communities in Soil, Rhizosphere, and Roots in Perennial Grass Experiments
Published on: July 24, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Ecological Succession
Soil Microbial Ecology
The Soil Ecosystem
Microenvironments
Introduction to Plant Diversity
Morphogenesis