Temporal variation in plant-soil feedback controls succession

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 9; no. 9; pp. 1080 - 1088
• Main Authors: Kardol, Paul, Martijn Bezemer, T, Putten, Wim H. van der
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2006; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Above-belowground interactions; Biodiversity; biota; chronosequence; communities; diversity; dynamics; ecology; Ecosystem; ecosystem restoration; ecosystems; field; insect herbivory; linkages; pathogens; plant communities; plant community composition; Plant Development; plant-specific effects; Population Dynamics; secondary succession; soil; soil communities; Soil Microbiology; temporal variation; vegetation

Soil abiotic and biotic factors play key roles in plant community dynamics. However, little is known about how soil biota influence vegetation changes over time. Here, we show that the effects of soil organisms may depend on both the successional development of ecosystems and on the successional pos...