Phylogenetic analysis of local-scale tree soil associations in a lowland moist tropical forest.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Local plant-soil associations are commonly studied at the species-level, while associations at the level of nodes within a phylogeny have been less well explored. Understanding associations within a phylogenetic context, however, can improve our ability to make predictions across systems and can advance our understanding of the role of evolutionary history in structuring communities.

Methodology/principal findings

Here we quantified evolutionary signal in plant-soil associations using a DNA sequence-based community phylogeny and several soil variables (e.g., extractable phosphorus, aluminum and manganese, pH, and slope as a proxy for soil water). We used published plant distributional data from the 50-ha plot on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Republic of Panamá. Our

SUBMITTER: Schreeg LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2965121 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature