How Soil Biota Drive Ecosystem Stability

Yang, Gaowen; Wagg, Cameron; Veresoglou, Stavros D.; Hempel, Stefan; Rillig, Matthias C.

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2018.09.007

Cited by 164 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…Soil animals, however, consume diverse resources, including plant roots, leaf litter, microorganisms and one another. Nevertheless, strong coupling relationships exist between plant productivity and soil animal communities (Yang et al 2018), suggesting shared environmental controls on plant and soil animal communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple environmental controls explain global patterns in soil animal communities

Johnston

Sibly

2020

Oecologia

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Soil animals play important roles in ecosystem functioning and stability, but the environmental controls on their communities are not fully understood. In this study, we compiled a dataset of soil animal communities for which the abundance and body mass of multiple soil animal groups were recorded. The mass-abundance scaling relationships were then used to investigate multiple environmental controls on soil animal community composition. The data reveal latitudinal shifts from high abundances of small soil animals at high latitudes to greater relative abundances of large soil animals at low latitudes. A hierarchical linear mixed effects model was applied to reveal the environmental variables shaping these latitudinal trends. The final hierarchical model identified mean annual temperature, soil pH and soil organic carbon content as key environmental controls explaining global mass-abundance scaling relationships in soil animal communities (R 2 c = 0.828, N group = 117). Such relationships between soil biota with climate and edaphic conditions have been previously identified for soil microbial, but not soil animal, communities at a global scale. More comprehensive global soil community datasets are needed to better understand the generality of these relationships over a broader range of global ecosystems and soil animal groups.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple environmental controls explain global patterns in soil animal communities

Johnston

Sibly

2020

Oecologia

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“…Plant richness and composition are well-known to correlate with fungal richness and composition (Brunbjerg et al 2018;Chen et al 2017;Wang et al 2018;Yang et al 2017;Zak et al 2003), and sites with lower plant species richness have previously been found to have a relatively higher proportion of plants in the dark diversity (Fløjgaard et al 2020). These results may be attributed to greater plant richness associated with more stable communities and ecosystems (Kuiters 2013;Pellkofer et al 2016;Yang et al 2018), which could indicate longer continuity and hence time for fungi to establish. Alternatively, host specific fungi species could be missing due to absence of their symbiotic plant species (Dickie 2007).…”

Section: Plant Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between macro-fungal dark diversity and habitat parameters using LiDAR

Valdez

Brunbjerg

Fløjgaard

et al. 2020

Preprint

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AbstractDespite the important role of fungi for ecosystems, relatively little is known about the factors underlying the dynamics of their diversity. Moreover, studies do not typically consider their dark diversity: the absent species from an otherwise suitable site. Here, we examined the drivers of local fungal dark diversity in temperate woodland and open habitats using LiDAR and in-situ field measurements, combined with a systematically collected and geographically comprehensive (national) macro-fungi and plant data set. For the first time, we also estimated species pools of fungi by considering both plant and fungi co-occurrences. The most important LiDAR variables were amplitude and echo ratio, which are both thought to represent vegetation structure. These results suggest that the local fungal dark diversity is highest in tall dense forests like plantations and lowest in more open forests and open habitats with little woody vegetation. Plant species richness was the most important driver and negatively correlated with local fungal dark diversity. Soil fertility showed a positive relationship with dark diversity in open habitats. This may indicate that the local dark diversity of macro-fungi is highest in areas with a relatively high human impact (typically areas with low plant species richness and high soil fertility). Overall, this study brings novel insights into local macro-fungi dark diversity patterns, suggesting that a multitude of drivers related to both soil and vegetation act in concert to determine fungal dark diversity. Our results suggest that policymakers and conservation managers should consider plant species richness, soil fertility, and vegetation structure in future management plans for fungal communities.

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“…In plants, microbial community structure on the phyllosphere is correlated with key plant growth characteristics, including wood density, leaf mass per area and mortality (Kembel et al, 2014). Similarly, soil microbial diversity and structure have been shown to strongly impact plant biomass production, plant-plant interactions, and plays a role in maintaining species diversity (Compant, Samad, Faist, & Sessitsch, 2019;Yang, Wagg, Veresoglou, Hempel, & Rillig, 2018). The contribution of microorganisms to plant growth through mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen fixing bacteria, and the wider above-and below-ground microbiome, is well known, and there is a growing appreciation for additional roles in resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors (Vandenkoornhuyse, Quaiser, Duhamel, Van, & Dufresne, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conserving the holobiont

et al. 2020

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Organismal biology has undergone a dramatic paradigm shift in the last decade. The realization that host cells and genes are outnumbered by symbiotic microbial cells and their genes has forced us to rethink our focus on ‘individuals’. It is also becoming increasingly clear that the ecology and biology of animals and plants are intimately connected with their microbial partners. In the context of conserving functioning species, such revelatory insights beg the question—what exactly should we be trying to conserve? Here, we review how an understanding of host–microbe interactions can benefit conservation biology. We propose a way forward for conservation biologists, to gather evidence of the potential effects of changes to plant and animal microbiomes, and to incorporate the holobiont concept into applied conservation practice. In humans, microbes influence physiology, health, behaviour and psychology. In animals and plants, microbes similarly influence critically important components of health, communication and (in animals) behaviour. Together, the animal or plant and all of its associated micro‐organisms are termed the holobiont. At the same time, humans are now the strongest evolutionary force on the planet, causing global change at unprecedented scale. We know that microbial diversity in humans has been compromised in urban societies, with a growing list of consequences for health and function. While we still have limited evidence for similar effects in plants and animals, anthropogenic factors that affect diversity are also likely to affect animal and plant microbiomes, with similar associated effects on host function and health. Microbiome research is still in its relative infancy, particularly in its application to plants and animals, yet the tools are becoming more widely available and affordable. Forward‐looking conservation biologists could harness such tools and apply them to the study of plant and animal microbiomes with the goal of understanding which microbiota might be required to ensure future viability of conserved host populations. For now, the precautionary principle applies. We suggest that, to meaningfully and effectively conserve a species, we must also consider how to conserve the bacteria, viruses, fungi and other symbionts intimately associated with that macro‐organism. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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How Soil Biota Drive Ecosystem Stability

Cited by 164 publications

References 91 publications

Multiple environmental controls explain global patterns in soil animal communities

Multiple environmental controls explain global patterns in soil animal communities

Relationships between macro-fungal dark diversity and habitat parameters using LiDAR

Conserving the holobiont

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