The role of plant-soil feedback in long-term species coexistence cannot be predicted from its effects on plant performance.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite many studies on the importance of competition and plants' associations with mutualists and pathogens on plant performance and community organization, the joint effects of these two factors remain largely unexplored. Even less is known about how these joint effects vary through a plant's life in different environmental conditions and how they contribute to the long-term coexistence of species.

Methods

We investigated the role of plant-soil feedback (PSF) in intra- and interspecific competition, using two co-occurring dry grassland species as models. A two-phase PSF experiment was used. In the first phase, soil was conditioned by the two plant species. In the second, we assessed the effect of soil conditioning, competition and drought stress on seedling esta

SUBMITTER: Dostalek T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9510945 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature