TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of Plant Litter in Driving Plant-Soil Feedbacks
AU - Veen, G. F.
AU - Fry, Ellen L.
AU - ten Hooven, Freddy C.
AU - Kardol, Paul
AU - Morriën, Elly
AU - De Long, Jonathan R.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Vereniging Natuurmonumenten for permission to collect soil and litter samples. We thank Tanja Bakx-Schotman, Erik Reichman, and Marta Manrubia for technical assistance with the experiment presented in Box 1. We thank Robin Heinen for drawing the plant in Figure 1. GV was supported by an NWO-VENI grant (no. 863.14.013). This is NIOO publication 6833. Funding. GV (no. 863.14.013) and EM (no 863.15.021) were supported by a VENI grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). JD was supported by a VICI grant from NWO (no. 865.14.006). PK acknowledges support from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsr?det).
Funding Information:
We thank Vereniging Natuurmonumenten for permission to collect soil and litter samples. We thank Tanja Bakx-Schotman, Erik Reichman, and Marta Manrubia for technical assistance with the experiment presented in Box 1. We thank Robin Heinen for drawing the plant in Figure 1. GV was supported by an NWO-VENI grant (no. 863.14.013). This is NIOO publication 6833.
Funding Information:
GV (no. 863.14.013) and EM (no 863.15.021) were supported by a VENI grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). JD was supported by a VICI grant from NWO (no. 865.14.006). PK acknowledges support from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2019 Veen, Fry, ten Hooven, Kardol, Morriën and De Long.
PY - 2019/10/22
Y1 - 2019/10/22
N2 - Most studies focusing on plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) have considered direct interactions between plants, abiotic conditions (e. g., soil nutrients) and rhizosphere communities (e.g., pathogens, mutualists). However, few studies have addressed the role of indirect interactions mediated by plant litter inputs. This is problematic because it has left a major gap in our understanding of PSFs in natural ecosystems, where plant litter is a key component of feedback effects. Here, we propose a new conceptual framework that integrates rhizosphere- and litter-mediated PSF effects. Our framework provides insights into the relative contribution of direct effects mediated by interactions between plants and soil rhizosphere organisms, and indirect effects between plants and decomposer organisms mediated by plant root and shoot litter. We distinguish between three pathways through which senesced root and shoot litter may influence PSFs. Specifically, we examine: (1) physical effects of litter (layer) traits on seed germination, soil structure, and plant growth; (2) chemical effects of litter on concentrations of soil nutrients and secondary metabolites (e.g., allelopathic chemicals); and (3) biotic effects of saprotrophic soil communities that can perform different functional roles in the soil food web, or that may have specialized interactions with litter types, thereby altering soil nutrient cycling. We assess the role of litter in PSF effects via physical, chemical and biotic pathways to address how litter-mediated feedbacks may play out relative to, and in interaction with, feedbacks mediated through the plant rhizosphere. We also present one of the first experimental studies to show the occurrence and species-specificity of litter-mediated feedbacks and we identify critical research gaps. By formally incorporating the plant-litter feedback pathway into PSF experiments, we will further our understanding of PSFs under natural conditions.
AB - Most studies focusing on plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) have considered direct interactions between plants, abiotic conditions (e. g., soil nutrients) and rhizosphere communities (e.g., pathogens, mutualists). However, few studies have addressed the role of indirect interactions mediated by plant litter inputs. This is problematic because it has left a major gap in our understanding of PSFs in natural ecosystems, where plant litter is a key component of feedback effects. Here, we propose a new conceptual framework that integrates rhizosphere- and litter-mediated PSF effects. Our framework provides insights into the relative contribution of direct effects mediated by interactions between plants and soil rhizosphere organisms, and indirect effects between plants and decomposer organisms mediated by plant root and shoot litter. We distinguish between three pathways through which senesced root and shoot litter may influence PSFs. Specifically, we examine: (1) physical effects of litter (layer) traits on seed germination, soil structure, and plant growth; (2) chemical effects of litter on concentrations of soil nutrients and secondary metabolites (e.g., allelopathic chemicals); and (3) biotic effects of saprotrophic soil communities that can perform different functional roles in the soil food web, or that may have specialized interactions with litter types, thereby altering soil nutrient cycling. We assess the role of litter in PSF effects via physical, chemical and biotic pathways to address how litter-mediated feedbacks may play out relative to, and in interaction with, feedbacks mediated through the plant rhizosphere. We also present one of the first experimental studies to show the occurrence and species-specificity of litter-mediated feedbacks and we identify critical research gaps. By formally incorporating the plant-litter feedback pathway into PSF experiments, we will further our understanding of PSFs under natural conditions.
KW - allelopathy
KW - decomposition
KW - home-field advantage
KW - indirect plant-soil feedback effects
KW - litter-mediated feedback
KW - rhizosphere-mediated feedback
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074649360&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85074649360&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fenvs.2019.00168
DO - 10.3389/fenvs.2019.00168
M3 - Article (journal)
AN - SCOPUS:85074649360
SN - 2296-665X
VL - 7
JO - Frontiers in Environmental Science
JF - Frontiers in Environmental Science
M1 - 168
ER -