Predicting the structure of soil communities from plant community taxonomy, phylogeny, and traits.

ABSTRACT: There are numerous ways in which plants can influence the composition of soil communities. However, it remains unclear whether information on plant community attributes, including taxonomic, phylogenetic, or trait-based composition, can be used to predict the structure of soil communities. We tested, in both monocultures and field-grown mixed temperate grassland communities, whether plant attributes predict soil communities including taxonomic groups from across the tree of life (fungi, bacteria, protists, and metazoa). The composition of all soil community groups was affected by plant species identity, both in monocultures and in mixed communities. Moreover, plant community composition predicted additional variation in soil community composition beyond what could be predicted from soil ab

SUBMITTER: Leff JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6004312 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature