Can root traits predict communities of soil nematodes in restored northern prairies?

Otfinowski, Rafael; Coffey, Victory

doi:10.1007/s11104-020-04624-y

Cited by 22 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…The positive relationship between specific root length and plant feeder richness indicates that plant feeders depend on a higher fineness of roots, which is to some extent in line with previous studies. Otfinowski and Coffey ( 2020 ) showed that higher SRL increased the abundance of plant-feeding nematodes, and Cortois et al ( 2016 ) showed that plants with higher SRL more strongly suffer from soil-borne pathogens. We assume that lower tissue density (Otfinowski and Coffey 2020 ) or higher nutritional quality of fine roots (Gordon and Jackson 2000 ) enhanced herbivory attractivity and thus the richness of plant feeders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Otfinowski and Coffey ( 2020 ) showed that higher SRL increased the abundance of plant-feeding nematodes, and Cortois et al ( 2016 ) showed that plants with higher SRL more strongly suffer from soil-borne pathogens. We assume that lower tissue density (Otfinowski and Coffey 2020 ) or higher nutritional quality of fine roots (Gordon and Jackson 2000 ) enhanced herbivory attractivity and thus the richness of plant feeders. Next to the resource quality impacts on plant feeders, we also detected shoot mass as a proxy for resource quantity influencing plant feeder abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

et al. 2021

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Diversity loss has been shown to change the soil community; however, little is known about long-term consequences and underlying mechanisms. Here, we investigated how nematode communities are affected by plant species richness and whether this is driven by resource quantity or quality in 15-year-old plant communities of a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment. We extracted nematodes from 93 experimental plots differing in plant species richness, and measured above- and belowground plant biomass production and soil organic carbon concentrations (Corg) as proxies for resource quantity, as well as C/Nleaf ratio and specific root length (SRL) as proxies for resource quality. We found that nematode community composition and diversity significantly differed among plant species richness levels. This was mostly due to positive plant diversity effects on the abundance and genus richness of bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, and predatory nematodes, which benefited from higher shoot mass and soil Corg in species-rich plant communities, suggesting control via resource quantity. In contrast, plant-feeding nematodes were negatively influenced by shoot mass, probably due to higher top–down control by predators, and were positively related to SRL and C/Nleaf, indicating control via resource quality. The decrease of the grazing pressure ratio (plant feeders per root mass) with plant species richness indicated a higher accumulation of plant-feeding nematodes in species-poor plant communities. Our results, therefore, support the hypothesis that soil-borne pathogens accumulate in low-diversity communities over time, while soil mutualists (bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, predatory nematodes) increase in abundance and richness in high-diversity plant communities, which may contribute to the widely-observed positive plant diversity–productivity relationship.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

et al. 2021

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“…They observed that increased positive effects of species richness on community biomass in a dry year were mainly the result of increased dominance of deep-rooting species, supporting the hypothesis of the protective effect of biodiversity. The findings on root traits are also echoed in soil food web studies (116)(117)(118)(119), where plant diversity and root traits have been shown to have an impact beyond productivity and thus have an important role to play in any soil restoration process.…”

Section: Biological Diversitymentioning

confidence: 85%

Restoring Soil Functions and Agroecosystem Services Through Phytotechnologies

Dessureault‐Rompré

2022

Front. Soil Sci.

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Phytotechnology has traditionally been considered as a tool to remediate contaminated soils. While phytotechnology has been generally defined as the application of science and engineering to study problems and provide solutions involving plants, the practical applications go far beyond restoring contaminated land. This review aims to broaden the way we think about phytotechnologies while highlighting how these living technologies can restore, conserve and regenerate the multiple functions and ecosystem services provided by the soil, particularly in the context of agroecosystems. At first, the main problems of soil degradation in agroecosystems are shortly underlined. Subsequently, the importance of plants and their living roots as engines of restoration are reviewed. This paper demonstrates the importance of root traits and functions for soil restoration. It also demonstrates that plant and root diversity together with perenniality are key component of an efficient soil restoration process. Then, a phytotechnology toolbox which includes three pillars for agroecosystems restoration is presented. The three pillars are agricultural practices and land management (1), rhizosphere engineering (2) and ecological intensification (3). This paper also highlights the importance of developing targeted phytotechnology-based restoration strategies developed from root functions and knowledge of rhizosphere processes. More work is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of incorporating phytotechnology-based restoration strategies in the context of grain or vegetable crop productions as most of the studies for agroecosystem restoration strategies were intended to mimic natural prairies.

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“…Other traits affecting root architecture may also influence fauna in PGCS, especially microfauna and root‐associated groups. For instance, under blue grama‐dominated fields, increased specific root length and branching intensity corresponded to elevated and depressed densities of root feeding nematodes, respectively (Otfinowski & Coffey, 2020). While variation in perennial grass root architecture has been shown to have important implications for SOC decomposition (de Graaff et al, 2013), the extent to which fauna effects on SOC may be impacted by root architecture differences between species remains unknown.…”

Section: Cropping System Effects On Soil Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Perennial grass bioenergy cropping systems: Impacts on soil fauna and implications for soil carbon accrual

et al. 2021

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Perennial grass energy crop production is necessary for the successful and sustainable expansion of bioenergy in North America. Numerous environmental advantages are associated with perennial grass cropping systems, including their potential to promote soil carbon accrual. Despite growing research interest in the abiotic and biotic factors driving soil carbon cycling within perennial grass cropping systems, soil fauna remain a critical yet largely unexplored component of these ecosystems. By regulating microbial activity and organic matter decomposition dynamics, soil fauna influence soil carbon stability with potentially significant implications for soil carbon accrual. We begin by reviewing the diverse, predominantly indirect effects of soil fauna on soil carbon dynamics in the context of perennial grass cropping systems. Since the impacts of perennial grass energy crop production on soil fauna will mediate their potential contributions to soil carbon accrual, we then discuss how perennial grass energy crop traits, diversity, and management influence soil fauna community structure and activity. We assert that continued research into the interactions of soil fauna, microbes, and organic matter will be important for advancing our understanding of soil carbon dynamics in perennial grass cropping systems. Furthermore, explicit consideration of soil faunal effects on soil carbon can improve our ability to predict changes in soil carbon following perennial grass cropping system establishment. We conclude by addressing the major knowledge gaps that should be prioritized to better understand and model the complex connections between perennial grass bioenergy systems, soil fauna, and carbon accrual.

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Can root traits predict communities of soil nematodes in restored northern prairies?

Cited by 22 publications

References 64 publications

Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

Restoring Soil Functions and Agroecosystem Services Through Phytotechnologies

Perennial grass bioenergy cropping systems: Impacts on soil fauna and implications for soil carbon accrual

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