Most soil trophic guilds increase plant growth: a meta‐analytical review

Trophic cascades are important drivers of plant and animal abundances in aquatic and aboveground systems, but in soils trophic cascades have been thought to be of limited importance due to omnivory and other factors. Here we use a meta‐analysis of 215 studies with 1526 experiments that measured plant growth responses to additions or removals of soil organisms to test how different soil trophic levels affect plant growth. Consistent with the trophic cascade hypothesis, we found that herbivores and plant pathogens (henceforth pests) decreased plant growth and that predators of pests increased plant growth. The magnitude of this trophic cascade was similar to that reported for aboveground systems. In contrast, we did not find evidence for trophic cascades in decomposer‐ and symbiont‐based (henceforth mutualist) food chains. In these food chains, mutualists increased plant growth and predators of mutualists also increased plant growth, presumably by increasing nutrient cycling rates. Therefore, mutualists, predators of mutualists and predators of pests all increased plant growth. Further, experiments that added multiple organisms from different trophic levels also increased plant growth. As a result, across the dataset, soil organisms increased plant growth 29% and non‐pest soil organisms increased plant growth 46%. Omnivory has traditionally been thought to confound soil trophic dynamics, but here we suggest that omnivory allows for a simplified perspective of soil food webs – one in which most soil organisms increase plant growth by preying on pests or increasing nutrient cycling rates. An implication of this perspective is that processes that decrease soil organism abundance (e.g. soil tillage) are likely to decrease aboveground productivity. Synthesis Soil foodwebs have resisted generalizations due to their diversity and interconnectedness. Here we use results from a meta‐analysis to inform a simplified perspective of soil foodwebs: one in which most soil trophic guilds increase plant growth. Our review also includes the first widespread support for the presence of trophic cascades in soils.     

植物生长抽梢期和气候因子对株高生长影响

利用西双版纳热带植物园的热带植物物候观测资料和气候资料,通过对热带植物株高生长偏差、生长抽梢期和气候因子的分析,探讨了三者的关系。结果表明,热带植物生长抽梢期变长不一定影响株高生长,而且与株高生长偏差的关系也小于气候因子与株高生长偏差的关系。同时,热带植物生长抽梢期对气候因子和株高生长偏差之间关系的贡献很小。因此,可以认为热带植物的生长期对植被生产力的促进作用较弱。     

Structure and ecological function of the soil microbiome affecting plant–soil feedbacks in the presence of a soil-borne pathogen

Interactions between plants and soil microbes are important for plant growth and resistance. Through plant–soil-feedbacks, growth of a plant is influenced by the previous plant that was growing in the same soil. We performed a plant–soil feedback study with 37 grass, forb and legume species, to condition the soil and then tested the effects of plant-induced changes in soil microbiomes on the growth of the commercially important cut-flower Chrysanthemum in presence and absence of a pathogen. We analysed the fungal and bacterial communities in these soils using next-generation sequencing and examined their relationship with plant growth in inoculated soils with or without the root pathogen, Pythium ultimum. We show that a large part of the soil microbiome is plant species-specific while a smaller part is conserved at the plant family level. We further identified clusters of plant species creating plant growth promoting microbiomes that suppress concomitantly plant pathogens. Especially soil inocula with higher relative abundances of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi caused positive effects on the Chrysanthemum growth when exposed to the pathogen. We conclude that plants differ greatly in how they influence the soil microbiome and that plant growth and protection against pathogens is associated with a complex soil microbial community.     

Dynamics of leaf and root growth: endogenous control versus environmental impact

AIMS: Production of biomass and yield in natural and agronomic conditions depend on the endogenous growth capacity of plants and on the environmental conditions constraining it. Sink growth drives the competition for carbon, nutrients and water within the plant, and determines the structure of leaves and roots that supply resources to the plant later on. For their outstanding importance, analyses of internal growth mechanisms and of environmental impact on plant growth are long-standing topics in plant sciences. SCOPE: Recent technological developments have made it feasible to study the dynamics of plant growth in temporal and spatial scales that are relevant to link macroscopic growth with molecular control. These developments provided first insights into the truly dynamic interaction between environment and endogenous control of plant growth. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is presented in this paper that the relative importance of endogenous control versus the impact of the dynamics of the environment depends on the frequency pattern of the environmental conditions to which the tissue is exposed. It can further be speculated that this is not only relevant within individual plants (hence leaves versus roots), but also crucial for the adaptation of plant species to the various dynamics of their environments. The following are discussed: mechanisms linking growth and concentrations of primary metabolites, and differences and homologies between spatial and temporal patterns of root and leaf growth with metabolite patterns.     

Genetic variability in a population of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi causes variation in plant growth

Different species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) alter plant growth and affect plant coexistence and diversity. Effects of within-AMF species or within-population variation on plant growth have received less attention. High genetic variation exists within AMF populations. However, it is unknown whether genetic variation contributes to differences in plant growth. In our study, a population of AMF was cultivated under identical conditions for several generations prior to the experiments thus avoiding environmental maternal effects. We show that genetically different Glomus intraradices isolates from one AMF population significantly alter plant growth in an axenic system and in greenhouse experiments. Isolates increased or reduced plant growth meaning that plants potentially receive benefits or are subject to costs by forming associations with different individuals in the AMF population. This shows that genetic variability in AMF populations could affect host-plant fitness and should be considered in future research to understand these important soil organisms.     

Relatedness among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi drives plant growth and intraspecific fungal coexistence

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbioses with most plant species. They are ecologically important determinants of plant growth and diversity. Considerable genetic variation occurs in AMF populations. Thus, plants are exposed to AMF of varying relatedness to each other. Very little is known about either the effects of coexisting AMF on plant growth or which factors influence intraspecific AMF coexistence within roots. No studies have addressed whether the genetics of coexisting AMF, and more specifically their relatedness, influences plant growth and AMF coexistence. Relatedness is expected to influence coexistence between individuals, and it has been suggested that decreasing ability of symbionts to coexist can have negative effects on the growth of the host. We tested the effect of a gradient of AMF genetic relatedness on the growth of two plant species. Increasing relatedness between AMFs lead to markedly greater plant growth (27% biomass increase with closely related compared to distantly related AMF). In one plant species, closely related AMF coexisted in fairly equal proportions but decreasing relatedness lead to a very strong disequilibrium between AMF in roots, indicating much stronger competition. Given the strength of the effects with such a shallow relatedness gradient and the fact that in the field plants are exposed to a steeper gradient, we consider that AMF relatedness can have a strong role in plant growth and the ability of AMF to coexist. We conclude that AMF relatedness is a driver of plant growth and that relatedness is also a strong driver of intraspecific coexistence of these ecologically important symbionts.     

Modeling the growth of individuals in crowded plant populations

Aims We present an improved model for the growth of individuals in plant populations experiencing competition.Methods Individuals grow sigmoidally according to the Birch model, which is similar to the more commonly used Richards model, but has the advantage that initial plant growth is always exponential. The individual plant growth models are coupled so that there is a maximum total biomass for the population. The effects of size-asymmetric competition are modeled with a parameter that reflects the size advantage that larger individual have over smaller individuals. We fit the model to data on individual growth in crowded populations of Chenopodium album .Important findings When individual plant growth curves were not coupled, there was a negative or no correlation between initial growth rate and final size, suggesting that competitive interactions were more important in determining final plant size than were plants' initial growth rates. The coupled growth equations fit the data better than individual, uncoupled growth models, even though the number of estimated parameters in the coupled competitive growth model was far fewer, indicating the importance of modeling competition and the degree of size-asymmetric growth explicitly. A quantitative understanding of stand development in terms of the growth of individuals, as altered by competition, is within reach.     

The role of maintenance respiration in plant growth

Abstract Plant growth is the balance of photosynthetic gains and respiratory losses, and it is therefore essential to consider respiration in analyses of plant productivity. The partitioning of dark respiratory losses into two functional components, a growth component and a maintenance component, has proved useful. The growth loss is that associated with synthesis of new biomass while the maintenance loss is that associated with maintenance of existing biomass. Experimental evidence indicates that the respiratory cost of maintenance in herbaceous plants is about equal to the cost of growth over a growing season, with daily maintenace expenditures less important in the small, rapidly growing plant but increasing in significance as plant size increases and the relative growth rate decreases. Because it is such a large fraction of the total carbon budget of a plant, any variations in maintenance requirements may result in significant alterations in productivity. In the present work the theoretical and empirical bases of maintenance respiration are described: magnitudes of maintenance expenditures are summarized; and applications to models of plant growth and productivity are discussed. It is concluded that the costs of maintenance should be included in analyses of plant growth.     

Effect of simulated herbivory on growth of the invasive weed Hygrophila polysperma: Experimental and predictive approaches

Herbivory simulation studies, through mechanical removal of leaf tissue, provide valuable insight about plant compensation and tolerance to defoliation. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to examine the effects of defoliation on growth and biomass accumulation of Hygrophila polysperma and thereby determine the critical level of herbivory necessary to achieve significant reduction in growth of this invasive plant. The data collected during the experiment were used to develop an empirical plant growth model to examine the usefulness of a model-based approach for a priori understanding of plant response to defoliation. The results of the mesocosm experiment showed that defoliation significantly influenced growth and biomass accumulation of hygrophila. The empirical plant growth model accurately simulated plant growth response to herbivory across treatments. Based on the results of the mesocosm experiment, an insect defoliator that causes complete defoliation of hygrophila at least at monthly intervals may be able to reduce biomass and growth of hygrophila. The ability of the mathematical model to predict the effects of defoliation on hygrophila suggest that it could be a useful tool for the selection of effective biological control agents.     

Plant growth and nutrient removal in constructed monoculture and mixed wetlands related to stubble attributes

The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that it depends on plant species used in the wetlands and their stubble growth attributes, as to whether monoculture or mixed wetland is superior in plant growth and nutrient removal. Monoculture and mixed wetland microcosms of five wetland plant species were studied. Significant differences in growth and aboveground biomass were found in the monoculture wetlands. Species that showed faster growth and larger biomass in monoculture wetland were also dominant in the mixed wetland. The mixed wetland exhibited similar biomass and root growth to the averages of five monocultures. ANOVA showed that there were very significant differences among the wetlands in removal rates of all the nutrients studied except nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The removal rates from the mixed wetland were generally comparable to the highest removal rates from the monocultures. The species exhibited different stubble growth attributes, with some species showing increasing stubble growth and removal rates, while other species showing decreasing stubble growth and removal rates. The results indicated that in both monocultures and mixed constructed wetlands, growth and nutrient removal rates depended on plant species, and attributes of plant stubble growth affected overall growth and nutrient removal capabilities.     

Plant mortality varies with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species identities in a self-thinning population

Because arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) species differ in stimulating the growth of particular host plant species, AMF species may vary in their effects on plant intra-specific competition and the self-thinning process. We tested this hypothesis using a microcosm experiment with Medicago sativa L. as a model plant population and four AMF species. Our results showed that the AMF species Glomus diaphanum stimulated host plant growth more than the other three AMF species did when the plants were grown individually. Glomus diaphanum also induced the highest rate of mortality in the self-thinning plant populations. We also found a positive correlation between mortality and growth response to colonization. Our results demonstrate that AMF species can affect plant mortality and the self-thinning process by affecting plant growth differently.     

Plant compensatory growth: a conquering strategy in plant–herbivore interactions?

We present a theoretical analysis that considers the phenotypic trait of compensatory growth ability in a context of population dynamics. Our model depicts a system of three interactors: herbivores and two different plant types referred to as ordinary and compensating. The compensating plant type has the ability to increase its intrinsic rate of biomass increase as a response to damage. This compensatory growth ability is maintained at the expense of a reduced growth rate in the absence of damage, where the ordinary plant type has the higher growth rate. Analysis of this system suggests that, even though a compensatory capacity of this kind will not imply an increase in equilibrium plant density, it will give a competitive advantage in relation to other plants, in the presence of a sufficiently efficient herbivore. Invasion of compensating plants into a population of non-compensating plants is facilitated by a high compensatory growth ability and a high intrinsic rate of plant biomass increase. Conversely, an ordinary plant can invade and outcompete a compensating plant when the herbivore is characterised by a relatively low attack rate, and/or when plant intrinsic growth rate is decreased.     

Gibberellin: inhibitor of an inhibitor of...?

Gibberellin is an endogenous plant growth regulator. Here, we describe our present understanding of how gibberellin regulates plant growth, using recent results gained from studies of gibberellin-signalling mutants of Arabidopsis. These results show that a signalling pathway represses plant growth and that gibberellin releases this repression. In consequence, the well-known growth-promoting properties of gibberellin are due to its activity as an "inhibitor of an inhibitor" [Brian Pw. Sym Soc. Exp Bio 1957; 11:166-182 (Ref. 1)] of plant growth.     

Rhizobacterial mediation of plant hormone status

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are commonly found in the rhizosphere (adjacent to the root surface) and may promote plant growth via several diverse mechanisms, including the production or degradation of the major groups of plant hormones that regulate plant growth and development. Although rhizobacterial production of plant hormones seems relatively widespread (as judged from physico-chemical measurements of hormones in bacterial culture media), evidence continues to accumulate, particularly from seedlings grown under gnotobiotic conditions, that rhizobacteria can modify plant hormone status. Since many rhizobacteria can impact on more than one hormone group, bacterial mutants in hormone production/degradation and plant mutants in hormone sensitivity have been useful to establish the importance of particular signalling pathways. Although plant roots exude many potential substrates for rhizobacterial growth, including plant hormones or their precursors, limited progress has been made in determining whether root hormone efflux can select for particular rhizobacterial traits. Rhizobacterial mediation of plant hormone status not only has local effects on root elongation and architecture, thus mediating water and nutrient capture, but can also affect plant root-to-shoot hormonal signalling that regulates leaf growth and gas exchange. Renewed emphasis on providing sufficient food for a growing world population, while minimising environmental impacts of agriculture because of overuse of fertilisers and irrigation water, will stimulate the commercialisation of rhizobacterial inoculants (including those that alter plant hormone status) to sustain crop growth and yield. Combining rhizobacterial traits (or species) that impact on plant hormone status thereby modifying root architecture (to capture existing soil resources) with traits that make additional resources available (e.g. nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilisation) may enhance the sustainability of agriculture.     

Genome-wide Expression Profiling in Seedlings of the Arabidopsis Mutant uro that is Defective in the Secondary Cell Wall Formation

Plant secondary growth is of tremendous importance, not only for plant growth and development but also for economic usefulness. Secondary tissues such as xylem and phloem are the conducting tissues in plant vascular systems, essentially for water and nutrient transport, respectively. On the other hand, products of plant secondary growth are important raw materials and renewable sources of energy. Although advances have been recently made towards describing molecular mechanisms that regulate secondary growth, the genetic control for this process is not yet fully understood. Secondary cell wall formation in plants shares some common mechanisms with other plant secondary growth processes. Thus, studies on the secondary cell wall formation using Arabidopsis may help to understand the regulatory mechanisms for plant secondary growth. We previously reported phenotypic characterizations of an Arabidopsis semi-dominant mutant, upright rosette （uro）, which is defective in secondary cell wall growth and has an unusually soft stem. Here, we show that lignification in the secondary cell wall in uro is aberrant by analyzing hypocotyl and stem. We also show genome-wide expression profiles of uro seedlings, using the Affymetrix GeneChip that contains approximately 24 000 Arabidopsis genes. Genes identified with altered expression levels include those that function in plant hormone biosynthesis and signaling, cell division and plant secondary tissue growth. These results provide useful information for further characterizations of the regulatory network in plant secondary cell wall formation.     

Community‐level plant–soil feedbacks explain landscape distribution of native and non‐native plants

Plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) have gained attention for their potential role in explaining plant growth and invasion. While promising, most PSF research has measured plant monoculture growth on different soils in short‐term, greenhouse experiments. Here, five soil types were conditioned by growing one native species, three non‐native species, or a mixed plant community in different plots in a common‐garden experiment. After 4 years, plants were removed and one native and one non‐native plant community were planted into replicate plots of each soil type. After three additional years, the percentage cover of each of the three target species in each community was measured. These data were used to parameterize a plant community growth model. Model predictions were compared to native and non‐native abundance on the landscape. Native community cover was lowest on soil conditioned by the dominant non‐native, Centaurea diffusa, and non‐native community cover was lowest on soil cultivated by the dominant native, Pseudoroegneria spicata. Consistent with plant growth on the landscape, the plant growth model predicted that the positive PSFs observed in the common‐garden experiment would result in two distinct communities on the landscape: a native plant community on native soils and a non‐native plant community on non‐native soils. In contrast, when PSF effects were removed, the model predicted that non‐native plants would dominate all soils, which was not consistent with plant growth on the landscape. Results provide an example where PSF effects were large enough to change the rank‐order abundance of native and non‐native plant communities and to explain plant distributions on the landscape. The positive PSFs that contributed to this effect reflected the ability of the two dominant plant species to suppress each other's growth. Results suggest that plant dominance, at least in this system, reflects the ability of a species to suppress the growth of dominant competitors through soil‐mediated effects.     

Mechanism of plant growth promotion by rhizobacteria

Plant growth results from interaction of roots and shoots with the environment. The environment for roots is the soil or planting medium which provide structural support as well as water and nutrients to the plant. Roots also support the growth and functions of a complex of microorganisms that can have a profound effect on the growth anti survival of plants. These microorganisms constitute rhizosphere microflora and can be categorized as deleterious, beneficial, or neutral with respect to root/plant health. Beneficial interactions between roots and microbes do occur in rhizosphere and can be enhanced. Increased plant growth and crop yield can be obtained upon inoculating seeds or roots with certain specific root-colonizing bacteria- 'plant growth promoting rhizobacteria'. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which plant growth promoting rhizobacteria may stimulate plant growth.     

Time is on our side: the importance of considering a recovery period when assessing flooding tolerance in plants

There is wide consensus about the significance of monitoring plant responses during flooding when evaluating specific tolerance. Nonetheless, plant recovery once water recedes has often been overlooked. This note highlights the importance of registering plant performance during a recovery phase. Two opposite types of plant growth responses, during and after flooding, are discussed. It is shown that an apparently poor performance during flooding does not necessarily involve a reduced tolerance, as plants can prioritize saving energy and carbohydrates for later resumption of vigorous growth during recovery. Conversely, maintenance of positive plant growth during flooding can imply extensive depletion of reserves, consequently constraining future plant growth. Therefore, to accurately estimate real tolerance to this stress, plant performance should be appraised during both flooding and recovery periods.     

Quantitative trait locus analysis of growth-related traits in a new Arabidopsis recombinant inbred population

Arabidopsis natural variation was used to analyze the genetics of plant growth rate. Screening of 22 accessions revealed a large variation for seed weight, plant dry weight and relative growth rate but not for water content. A positive correlation was observed between seed weight and plant area 10 d after planting, suggesting that seed weight affects plant growth during early phases of development. During later stages of plant growth this correlation was not significant, indicating that other factors determine growth rate during this phase. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis, using 114 (F9 generation) recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross between Landsberg erecta (Ler, from Poland) and Shakdara (Sha, from Tadjikistan), revealed QTLs for seed weight, plant area, dry weight, relative growth rate, chlorophyll fluorescence, flowering time, and flowering-related traits. Growth traits (plant area, dry weight, and relative growth rate) colocated at five genomic regions. At the bottom of chromosome 5, colocation was found of QTLs for leaf area, leaf initiation speed, specific leaf area, and chlorophyll fluorescence but not for dry weight, indicating that this locus might be involved in leaf development. No consistent relation between growth traits and flowering time was observed despite some colocations. Some of the QTLs detected for flowering time overlapped with loci detected in other recombinant inbred line populations, but also new loci were identified. This study shows that Arabidopsis can successfully be used to study the genetic basis of complex traits like plant growth rate.