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Earth's Systems / Biological processes / Terrestrial ecosystem functioning / Organism-environment interactions / Plant-soil feedback and species coexistence

Plant-soil feedback and species coexistence

Each plant species conditions the soil community beneath it, and that community then helps or harms the next seedlings of the same or other species; negative feedbacks favour coexistence and positive ones favour dominance.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: A plant species builds up its own soil community of pathogens, mutualists and decomposers

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Changed species mix changes litter quality and root inputs

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESPlantsSoil microbesMycorrhizalfungiPathogensDecomposersNutrientsRoot exudatesHabitatCarbonLightImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 03 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact -3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.65% negativeImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.20% positiveImpact 01 of 5. Click for details and evidence.15% neutralImpact -3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ balances · moderate · 0.3 other species taImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ reinforces · moderate · 0.3 dominant speciImpact 02 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 02 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 01 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact 02 of 5. Click for details and evidence.A plant species builds up its own soil community of pathogens, mutualists and decomposers: uses NutrientsA plant species builds up its own soil community of pathogens, mutualists and decomposers: uses Root exudatesNet effect of the conditioned soil on the same species' seedlings: uses NutrientsOwn seedlings grow worse than in other species' soil, which frees space for other species: uses NutrientsOwn seedlings grow worse than in other species' soil, which frees space for other species: uses HabitatOwn seedlings grow better in own soil, so the species spreads and dominates: uses NutrientsOwn seedlings grow better in own soil, so the species spreads and dominates: uses CarbonNeutral soil effect leaves composition set by climate and competition: uses LightChanged species mix changes litter quality and root inputs: uses Root exudatescycled by conditionedcommunitiesNutrients: cycled by conditioned communitiesshape soil communityRoot exudates: shape soil communityaffects own seedlinggrowthNutrients: affects own seedling growthunavailable to ownseedlingsNutrients: unavailable to own seedlingsfreed for other speciesHabitat: freed for other speciesfavour own seedlingsNutrients: favour own seedlingsaccumulates in favouredsoilCarbon: accumulates in favoured soilcompetition setscompositionLight: competition sets compositioninputs change withspeciesRoot exudates: inputs change with speciesStart: Plant-soilfeedback and speciescoexistenceSTARTStart: Plant-soil feedback and species coexistenceEnd: Plant-soilfeedback and speciescoexistenceENDEnd: Plant-soil feedback and species coexistenceA plant species buildsup its own soilcommunity of pathogen…📄1 ↗1A plant species builds up its own soil community of pathogens, mutualists and decomposersNet effect of theconditioned soil on thesame species' seedlings📄1Net effect of the conditioned soil on the same species' seedlingsOwn seedlings growworse than in otherspecies' soil, whi…📄1Own seedlings grow worse than in other species' soil, which frees space for other speciesOwn seedlings growbetter in own soil, sothe species spreads a…📄1Own seedlings grow better in own soil, so the species spreads and dominatesNeutral soil effectleaves composition setby climate a…📄1Neutral soil effect leaves composition set by climate and competitionChanged species mixchanges litter qualityand root inputs📄1 ↗1Changed species mix changes litter quality and root inputs
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
What am I looking at? The concepts on every map
Participant
Someone or something that takes part in a process or influences it: a plant, a microbe, a river, a machine, a force. Participants are the rows of a map.
Resource
Something a step uses or uses up: water, oxygen, sunlight, a tool. Each step has an arrow down to the resources it uses.
Step
One thing that happens in a process. Every step has at least one participant and carries evidence.
Decision fork
A step where the process can go several ways. Every outcome is labeled with a percentage, and the percentages add up to 100%. It is not limited to yes or no.
Loop
A line that carries the process back to an earlier step. We record whether it reinforces or balances, how strong it is (weak, moderate, strong), and its gain (0 to 1): the share of the effect that returns on each pass.
Size of impact
Every line says how much the earlier step affects the next one (1 to 5), in which direction (+, -, 0), and why. Thicker lines mean bigger impact.
Evidence
The support for a claim: a source and what it shows. Every step, line, change and vote needs it. Click any step or line to read its evidence.
Boundary
Where a process starts and where it ends. Every process, and every subprocess, has a start and an end.
Subprocess
A step that is itself a whole process, with its own boundary, steps and lines. Click a step marked ↘ to open it. Subprocesses nest as deep as the evidence goes.
Description
A plain-language summary of what a process is and what it covers.
Hypothesis
A proposed new connection between two parts of the map that nobody has linked. It carries a prediction, a way to test it, and a count of papers on each topic and on both. It is an unverified idea until someone tests it.

Every step, with its evidence

The same information as the map, as a list you can search and share. Click a participant or resource to see everywhere it appears.

A plant species builds up its own soil community of pathogens, mutualists and decomposers
PlantsSoil microbesMycorrhizal fungiRoot exudatesNutrients
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Bever, Westover & Antonovics 1997, Incorporating the soil community into plant population dynamics: the utility of the feedback approach, Journal of Ecology, doi:10.2307/2960528: Plant species differ in the soil community they cultivate. (confidence 0.8)
⑂ Net effect of the conditioned soil on the same species' seedlings
PlantsSoil microbesNutrients
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Kulmatiski 2008, Plant-soil feedbacks: a meta-analytical review, Ecology Letters, doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01209.x: A meta-analysis found plant-soil feedbacks mostly negative for conspecific growth, with positive cases in a minority. Shares are an estimate from that review (negative 55-75 percent). (confidence 0.5)
Own seedlings grow worse than in other species' soil, which frees space for other species
PlantsPathogensNutrientsHabitat
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Kulmatiski 2008, Plant-soil feedbacks: a meta-analytical review, Ecology Letters, doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01209.x: Negative feedback is thought to promote coexistence and diversity. (confidence 0.8)
Own seedlings grow better in own soil, so the species spreads and dominates
PlantsMycorrhizal fungiNutrientsCarbon
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Bever, Westover & Antonovics 1997, Incorporating the soil community into plant population dynamics: the utility of the feedback approach, Journal of Ecology, doi:10.2307/2960528: Positive feedback can drive dominance and loss of diversity. (confidence 0.8)
Neutral soil effect leaves composition set by climate and competition
PlantsLightWater
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Wardle 2004, Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota, Science, doi:10.1126/science.1094875: Aboveground and belowground communities are coupled but the strength varies. (confidence 0.6)
Changed species mix changes litter quality and root inputs
PlantsDecomposersPlant litterRoot exudates
Evidence (1) · added by Loopa
  • Wardle 2004, Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota, Science, doi:10.1126/science.1094875: Plant composition controls the quality and quantity of resources entering the soil food web. (confidence 0.8)