Subordinate plant species impact on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functioning in grasslands: Findings from a removal experiment

Mariotte, Pierre; Vandenberghe, Charlotte; Meugnier, Claire; Rossi, Pierre; Bardgett, Richard D.; Buttler, Alexandre

doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2012.12.003

Cited by 47 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…There were specific RFs for each reclaimed scenarios (Fig. 2), which is accounted for each plant species uniquely contributing to the functioning of the belowground system (Eisenhauer et al, 2010;Mariotte et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

Zhang

Yan

et al. 2015

Applied Soil Ecology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

Zhang

Yan

et al. 2015

Applied Soil Ecology

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“…Recent studies suggest that subordinate species may have a greater influence on ecosystem functioning than their relative abundance suggests (Mariotte et al . ,b; Mariotte ). Investigating interactions between subordinate plant species and soil biota is crucial for a better understanding of plant–soil interactions and assessing the management practices of economically important forest resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Mariotte et al . ), and enhancing community resistance against drought in grassland ecosystems (Mariotte et al . ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subordinate plants sustain the complexity and stability of soil micro‐food webs in natural bamboo forest ecosystems

Shao

Wang

Zhao

et al. 2015

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary Subordinate plants have a significant impact on soil organisms in primary successional floodplains and grassland ecosystems, but their role in subtropical forest ecosystems remains unclear. An experiment was conducted in a subtropical forest to test the hypothesis that removal of shrubs or subordinate arbour tree species would reduce the complexity and stability of the soil micro‐food web. Principal response curves (PRCs) were performed to assess the responses of soil microbial and nematode communities to plant removal compared with a control through time. The effect of plant removal on complexity and stability in the soil micro‐food web was assessed using a suite of indices including ratio of omnivorous‐predatory to herbivorous nematode abundance (OP : H ratio), nematode diversity, resistance and resilience. Furthermore, increments of bamboo productivity among treatments were estimated. Soil microbial community structure changed in response to plant removal in 2009, but recovered in 2010, and the only change observed was increased soil fungal biomass. In contrast, plant removal had greater impact on soil nematode community composition in 2010 than 2009. Subordinate arbour tree species removal (with or without shrubs) decreased the values of nematode richness, evenness, diversity, ratio of microbial‐feeding to herbivorous nematode abundance (M : H ratios), OP : H ratios and resistance indices in 2010, but only decreased OP : H ratios in 2009 and increased the values of nematode dominance in 2010. Although increments in bamboo productivity were statistically similar among treatments, there was a trend decreasing progressively from control to shrub removal + selective‐cutting of subordinate arbour tree species, shrub removal, and selective‐cutting of subordinate arbour tree species treatments. Synthesis and applications. Subordinate plants help sustain the complexity and stability of soil micro‐food webs in subtropical bamboo forest ecosystems. Therefore, protection of subordinate plants and maintaining high plant diversity are important parts of a responsible management strategy in subtropical bamboo forests.

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“…Moreover, dominant species have larger leaf areas that allow better light capture, which in 95 turn leads to a larger production of biomass. Although subordinate species do not exhibit high 96 aboveground biomass production, they allocate resources towards a higher nutrient retention 97 below ground (Lavorel et al 2011;Mariotte et al 2013bMariotte et al , 2014. Through this we can see that PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.26640v1 | CC BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 7…”

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confidence: 96%

“…Dominant and subordinate 90 species have been shown to differ in aboveground functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf C:N) 91 that determine plant performance. For instance, dominant species have fast growing/high 92 resource acquisition strategies while subordinate species are associated with resource 93 conservation/slow growing strategies (Diaz et al 2004; Wright et al 2004;Mariotte et al 2013b Mariotte et al , 94 2014. Moreover, dominant species have larger leaf areas that allow better light capture, which in 95 turn leads to a larger production of biomass.…”

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confidence: 99%

Dominance across montane meadows: Patterns and processes structuring plant communities

LaPlante

Souza

2018

Preprint

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33 Background. Understanding the underlying factors that determine the relative abundance of 34 plant species is critical to predict both biodiversity and ecosystem function. Biotic and abiotic 35 factors can shape the distribution and the relative abundance of species across natural 36 communities, greatly influencing local biodiversity. 37 Methods. Using a combination of an observational study and a five-year plant removal 38 experiment we: (1) documented how plant diversity and composition of montane meadow 39 assemblages vary along a plant dominance gradient using an observational study; (2) tracked 40 above-and belowground functional traits of co-dominant plant species Potentilla and Festuca 41 along a plant dominance gradient in an observational study; (3) determined whether plant species 42 diversity and composition was directly influenced by commonly occurring species Potentilla and 43 Festuca with the use of a randomized plot design, 5-year plant removal experiment (no removal 44 control, Potentilla removed, Festuca removed, n=10) . 45 Results. We found that subordinate species diversity and compositional dissimilarity were 46 greatest in Potentilla and Festuca co-dominated sites, where neither Potentilla nor Festuca 47 dominated, rather than at sites where either species became dominant. Further, while above-and 48 belowground plant functional traits varied along a dominance gradient, they did so in a way that 49 inconsistently predicted plant species relative abundance. Also, neither variation in plant 50 functional traits of Festuca and Potentilla nor variation in resources and conditions (such as soil 51 nitrogen and temperature) explained our subordinate diversity patterns. Finally, neither Potentilla 52 nor Festuca influenced subordinate diversity or composition when we directly tested for their 53 impacts in a plant removal experiment. 54 Discussion. Taken together, patterns of subordinate diversity and composition were likely driven 55 by abiotic factors rather than biotic interactions. As a result, the role of abiotic factors 56 influencing local-level species interactions can be just as important as biotic interactions 57 themselves in structuring plant communities. 58 Introduction 59 Linkages between species' relative abundance and ecosystem function are important to predict 60 ecosystem resistance and resilience to global change pressures. Dominant species, with high 61 relative abundance (i.e., primary production), have been shown to strongly impact community 62 dynamics and ecosystem function (Whitaker 1972; Wardle et al. 1999;Grime 1977Grime 2001Grime 2006 63 Hooper et al. 2005). In fact, according to Grime's (1998) "mass ratio hypothesis" species with 64 greater primary production exert the main controls for the functioning of ecosystems. Based on 65 this hypothesis, dominant species are considered more important in an ecosystem because of the 66 greater aboveground abundance of biomass or leaf area (e.g., foliar cover) that promotes resource 67 uptake. However, an increasing a...

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Subordinate plant species impact on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functioning in grasslands: Findings from a removal experiment

Cited by 47 publications

References 44 publications

Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

Subordinate plants sustain the complexity and stability of soil micro‐food webs in natural bamboo forest ecosystems

Dominance across montane meadows: Patterns and processes structuring plant communities

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