Shared community history strengthens plant diversity effects on below-ground multitrophic functioning.

ABSTRACT: The relationship of plant diversity and several ecosystem functions strengthens over time. This suggests that the restructuring of biotic interactions in the process of a community's assembly and the associated changes in function differ between species-rich and species-poor communities. An important component of these changes is the feedback between plant and soil community history. In this study, we examined the interactive effects of plant richness and community history on the trophic functions of the soil fauna community. We hypothesized that experimental removal of either soil or plant community history would diminish the positive effects of plant richness on the multitrophic functions of the soil food web, compared to mature communities. We tested this hypothesis in a long-term grass

SUBMITTER: Amyntas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11962227 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature