Defoliation and fertilisation differentially moderate root trait effects on soil abiotic and biotic properties.

ABSTRACT: Root functional traits are known to influence soil properties that underpin ecosystem functioning. Yet few studies have explored how root traits simultaneously influence physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, or how these responses are modified by common grassland perturbations that shape roots, such as defoliation and fertilisation.Here, we explored how root traits of a wide range of grassland plant species with contrasting resource acquisition strategies (i.e. conservative vs. exploitative strategy plant species) respond to defoliation and fertilisation individually and in combination, and examined cascading impacts on a range of soil abiotic and biotic properties that underpin ecosystem functioning.We found that the amplitude of the response of root traits to defoliation

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10952586 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature