Increased Plant Carbon Translocation Linked to Overyielding in Grassland Species Mixtures
Gerlinde B. De Deyn,Gerlinde B. De Deyn,Helen Quirk,Simon Oakley,Nick Ostle,Richard D. Bardgett +5 more
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It is revealed that short-term plant C translocation can be accelerated in plant individuals of legume and C3 grass species when grown in mixtures, and that this is strongly positively related to overyielding.Abstract:
Plant species richness and productivity often show a positive relationship, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, especially at the plant species level. We examined how growing plants in species mixture influences intraspecific rates of short-term carbon (C-) translocation, and determined whether such short-term responses are reflected in biomass yields. We grew monocultures and mixtures of six common C3 grassland plant species in outdoor mesocosms, applied a 13C-CO2 pulse in situ to trace assimilated C through plants, into the soil, and back to the atmosphere, and quantified species-specific biomass. Pulse derived 13C enrichment was highest in the legumes Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens, and relocation (i.e. transport from the leaves to other plant parts) of the recently assimilated 13C was most rapid in T. repens grown in 6-species mixtures. The grass Anthoxanthum odoratum also showed high levels of 13C enrichment in 6-species mixtures, while 13C enrichment was low in Lolium perenne, Plantago lanceolata and Achillea millefolium. Rates of C loss through respiration were highest in monocultures of T. repens and relatively low in species mixtures, while the proportion of 13C in the respired CO2 was similar in monocultures and mixtures. The grass A. odoratum and legume T. repens were most promoted in 6-species mixtures, and together with L. corniculatus, caused the net biomass increase in 6-species mixtures. These plant species also had highest rates of 13C-label translocation, and for A. odoratum and T. repens this effect was greatest in plant individuals grown in species mixtures. Our study reveals that short-term plant C translocation can be accelerated in plant individuals of legume and C3 grass species when grown in mixtures, and that this is strongly positively related to overyielding. These results demonstrate a mechanistic coupling between changes in intraspecific plant carbon physiology and increased community level productivity in grassland systems.read more
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Root biomass and exudates link plant diversity with soil bacterial and fungal biomass
Nico Eisenhauer,Arnaud Lanoue,Tanja Strecker,Stefan Scheu,Katja Steinauer,Madhav P. Thakur,Liesje Mommer +6 more
TL;DR: It is suggested that plant diversity enhances soil microbial biomass, particularly soil fungi, by increasing root-derived organic inputs.
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Plant species richness promotes soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in grasslands without legumes
Wen-Feng Cong,Jasper van Ruijven,Liesje Mommer,Gerlinde B. De Deyn,Frank Berendse,Ellis Hoffland +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied whether plant diversity affects soil carbon and nitrogen storage in the absence of legumes and found that increased soil C and N stocks were mainly driven by increased C input and N retention, resulting from enhanced plant productivity, which surpassed enhanced C loss from decomposition.
Journal ArticleDOI
Plant–Soil Feedback: Bridging Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Pierre Mariotte,Pierre Mariotte,Zia Mehrabi,T. Martijn Bezemer,Gerlinde B. De Deyn,Andrew Kulmatiski,Barbara Drigo,G. F. (Ciska) Veen,Marcel G. A. van der Heijden,Marcel G. A. van der Heijden,Paul Kardol +10 more
TL;DR: A conceptual framework that integrates knowledge and approaches from complex natural systems can be used to increase agricultural resource-use efficiency and productivity is presented and avenues for new research toward an ecologically sustainable and climate-smart future are discussed.
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Biochar application rate affects biological nitrogen fixation in red clover conditional on potassium availability
Shamim Mia,J.W. van Groenigen,T.F.J. Van de Voorde,Natalie J. Oram,T.M. Bezemer,Liesje Mommer,Simon Jeffery +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of different biochar application rates on BNF in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) were investigated in mono or mixed cultures with red fescue grass (Festuca rubra L.) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) at a range of different application rates.
Data from: Root biomass and exudates link plant diversity with soil bacterial and fungal biomass
Nico Eisenhauer,Tanja Strecker,Arnaud Lanoue,Stefan Scheu,Katja Steinauer,Madhav P. Thakur,Liesje Mommer +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, the role of plant species richness on the biomass of soil bacteria and fungi as well as fungal-to-bacterial ratio via root biomass and root exudates was investigated.
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