Local soil,but not commercial AMF inoculum,increases native and non‐native grass growth at a mine restoration site

Soil communities are often degraded in mined sites, and facilitating the recovery of soil mutualists such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may assist with the restoration of native plants. At a grassland mine restoration site, I compared a commercial AMF inoculum with soil collected from beneath native grasses as a source of inoculum, as well as a control treatment. Field plots were broadcast‐inoculated and seeded with native grasses, and biomass of native and non‐native species was measured in three consecutive years. In addition, greenhouse‐grown seedlings of a native bunchgrass (Stipa pulchra) were inoculated with similar treatments, transplanted into the field, and assessed after 18 months. When broadcast inoculation was used, the local soil inoculum tended to increase non‐native grass biomass, and marginally decreased non‐native forb biomass in the second year of study, but did not significantly affect native grass biomass. Broadcast commercial inoculum had no detectable effects on biomass of any plant group. Stipa pulchra transplants had greater N content and mycorrhizal colonization, and marginally higher shoot mass and K content, when pre‐inoculated with local soil (relative to controls). Pre‐inoculation with commercial AMF increased AMF colonization of the S. pulchra transplants, but did not significantly affect biomass or nutrient content. The findings indicate that at this site, the use of local soil as an inoculum had greater effects on native and non‐native plants than the commercial product used. In order to substantially increase native grass performance, inoculation of transplanted plugs may be one potential strategy.     

Negative plant‐phyllosphere feedbacks in native Asteraceae hosts – a novel extension of the plant‐soil feedback framework

Over the past 25 years, the plant‐soil feedback (PSF) framework has catalyzed our understanding of how belowground microbiota impact plant fitness and species coexistence. Here, we apply a novel extension of this framework to microbiota associated with aboveground tissues, termed ‘plant‐phyllosphere feedback (PPFs)’. In parallel greenhouse experiments, rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiota of con‐ and heterospecific hosts from four species were independently manipulated. In a third experiment, we tested the combined effects of soil and phyllosphere feedback under field conditions. We found that three of four species experienced weak negative PSF whereas, in contrast, all four species experienced strong negative PPFs. Field‐based feedback estimates were highly negative for all four species, though variable in magnitude. Our results suggest that phyllosphere microbiota, like rhizosphere microbiota, can potentially mediate plant species coexistence via negative feedbacks. Extension of the PSF framework to the phyllosphere is needed to more fully elucidate plant‐microbiota interactions.     

A field test of commercial soil microbial treatments on native grassland restoration

Seedling establishment and performance are often limiting steps in many grassland restorations. The soil microbial community is thought to be a factor that contributes to the poor performance of seedlings. Therefore, we conducted a field test to examine the ability of four treatments to alter the soil microbial community and improve seedling performance during restoration. Treatments were commercially available bacterial inoculum, fungal inoculum, fungicide, and a bacteria/fungicide combination which were all designed and sold to enhance plant performance. We hypothesized that if the soil microbial community was limiting the performance of seedlings, then these products would remediate detrimental effects of the soil microbial community resulting in greater seedling performance. However, during the 2 years after restoration, no effect of the treatments was found. It is plausible that the treatments designed for agriculture or home garden settings were not appropriate for a wildland system.     

紫苏对医院绿地土真菌群落组成及生态功能群结构的影响

医院绿地土壤是医院人体病原真菌或潜在人体病原真菌重要的物种储存库.这些携带真菌孢子的土粒和灰尘在空气中的传播增加了医院院内真菌感染的风险,已成为一个日趋严重的公共卫生问题.现研究表明,不少高等植物,尤其是药用植物具很强的抗真菌特性.基于高通量测序及模拟盆栽试验,本研究观察了种植药用植物紫苏Perilla frutesc...     

Soil pathogen communities associated with native and non‐native Phragmites australis populations in freshwater wetlands

Soil pathogens are believed to be major contributors to negative plant–soil feedbacks that regulate plant community dynamics and plant invasions. While the theoretical basis for pathogen regulation of plant communities is well established within the plant–soil feedback framework, direct experimental evidence for pathogen community responses to plants has been limited, often relying largely on indirect evidence based on above‐ground plant responses. As a result, specific soil pathogen responses accompanying above‐ground plant community dynamics are largely unknown. Here, we examine the oomycete pathogens in soils conditioned by established populations of native noninvasive and non‐native invasive haplotypes of Phragmites australis (European common reed). Our aim was to assess whether populations of invasive plants harbor unique communities of pathogens that differ from those associated with noninvasive populations and whether the distribution of taxa within these communities may help to explain invasive success. We compared the composition and abundance of pathogenic and saprobic oomycete species over a 2‐year period. Despite a diversity of oomycete taxa detected in soils from both native and non‐native populations, pathogen communities from both invaded and noninvaded soils were dominated by species of Pythium. Pathogen species that contributed the most to the differences observed between invaded and noninvaded soils were distributed between invaded and noninvaded soils. However, the specific taxa in invaded soils responsible for community differences were distinct from those in noninvaded soils that contributed to community differences. Our results indicate that, despite the phylogenetic relatedness of native and non‐native P. australis haplotypes, pathogen communities associated with the dominant non‐native haplotype are distinct from those of the rare native haplotype. Pathogen taxa that dominate either noninvaded or invaded soils suggest different potential mechanisms of invasion facilitation. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that non‐native plant species that dominate landscapes may “cultivate” a different soil pathogen community to their rhizosphere than those of rarer native species.     

杉木连栽对土壤细菌群落及其抑病能力的影响

连栽导致土壤退化是制约杉木初级生产力实现的重要障碍因素,而土壤对病原菌的抑制能力决定着植物能否有效抵御病原菌侵害,是人工林土壤地力状况的重要表现。以一代、二代、三代杉木人工林和天然次生林为对象,采用平板隔空、直接对峙的方法,分析了不同代际杉木林土壤细菌群落对尖孢镰刀菌和立枯丝核菌的抑制能力。进一步利用高通量测序技术,研究了杉木林土壤细菌群落影响土壤抑病能力的生态过程。结果表明：土壤磷元素随连栽呈显著积累趋势,而土壤pH和有机质(SOM)等含量随连栽代数的增加而下降,但这些下降指标在三代杉木林与天然林土壤间无显著差异。而杉木连栽导致土壤对病原菌的抑制能力逐代降低,天然林土壤较杉木人工林对病原菌具有显著的高抑制能力。同时杉木连栽显著改变了土壤细菌群落组成,而对群落整体α-多样性影响较小,说明土壤中一些关键类群对杉木连栽响应的敏感性高于整体细菌群落的变化。进一步利用随机森林模型预测与回归分析,揭示了杉木连栽引起的土壤一些关键细菌类群丰度的降低是土壤抑病能力下降的重要原因,这些类群主要受土壤pH、SOM、TP等土壤理化因子的调控。由此,杉木长期连栽会引起土壤微环境失衡,致使土壤抑制病原菌能力下...     

Modification of native grasses for biofuel production may increase virus susceptibility

Bioenergy production is driving modifications to native plant species for use as novel biofuel crops. Key aims are to increase crop growth rates and to enhance conversion efficiency by reducing biomass recalcitrance to digestion. However, selection for these biofuel‐valuable traits has potential to compromise plant defenses and alter interactions with pests and pathogens. Insect‐vectored plant viruses are of particular concern because perennial crops have potential to serve as virus reservoirs that influence regional disease dynamics. In this study, we examined relationships between growth rates and biomass recalcitrance in five switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) populations, ranging from near‐wildtype to highly selected cultivars, in a common garden trial. We measured biomass accumulation rates and assayed foliage for acid detergent lignin, neutral detergent fiber, in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility and in vitro true dry matter digestibility. We then evaluated relationships between these traits and susceptibility to a widely distributed group of aphid‐transmitted Poaceae viruses (Luteoviridae: Barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses, B/CYDVs). Virus infection rates and prevalence were assayed with RT‐PCR in the common garden, in greenhouse inoculation trials, and in previously established switchgrass stands across a 300‐km transect in Michigan, USA. Aphid host preferences were quantified in a series of arena host choice tests with field‐grown foliage. Contrary to expectations, biomass accumulation rates and foliar digestibility were not strongly linked in switchgrass populations we examined, and largely represented two different trait axes. Natural B/CYDV prevalence in established switchgrass stands ranged from 0% to 28%. In experiments, susceptibility varied notably among switchgrass populations and was more strongly predicted by potential biomass accumulation rates than by foliar digestibility; highly selected, productive cultivars were most virus‐susceptible and most preferred by aphids. Evaluation and mitigation of virus susceptibility of new biofuel crops is recommended to avert possible unintended consequences of biofuel production on regional pathogen dynamics.     

Soil-disturbance by native animals plays a critical role in maintaining healthy Australian landscapes

Summary   Soil-disturbing animals have wide-ranging effects on both biotic and abiotic processes across a number of Australian ecosystems. They alter soil quality by mixing surface soils and trapping litter and water, leading to areas of increased decomposition of organic matter. The foraging pits of indigenous soil-disturbing animals tend to have different soil chemical characteristics, greater levels of infiltration and lower levels of soil density than adjacent areas. Enhanced capture of seeds and water turns disturbance pits into areas of enhanced plant germination. The burrows, pits and mounds of both native and exotic animals provide habitat for a range of vertebrates and invertebrates and contribute to patchiness in the landscape. Given their wide-ranging effects on surface soil and ecological processes, we argue in this review that soil disturbance by native animals has the potential to contribute to restoration of degraded landscapes, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas.     

Effects of agronomical measures on the microbial diversity of soils as related to the suppression of soil-borne plant pathogens

The diversity of soil microbial communities can be key to the capacity of soils tosuppress soil-borne plant diseases. As agricultural practice, as well as directedagronomical measures, are known to be able to affect soil microbial diversity, it isplausible that the soil microflora can be geared towards a greater suppressivity ofsoil-borne diseases as a result of the selection of suitable soil management regimes.In the context of a programme aimed at investigating the microbial diversity of soilsunder different agricultural regimes, including permanent grassland versus arableland under agricultural rotation, we assessed how soil microbial diversity is affectedin relation to the suppression of the soil-borne potato pathogen Rhizoctoniasolani AG3. The diversity in the microbial communities over about a growingseason was described by using cultivation-based – plating on different media – and cultivation-independent – soil DNA-based PCR followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) community fingerprinting – methods. The results showed great diversity in the soil microbiota at both the culturable and cultivation-independent detection levels. Using cultivation methods, various differences between treatments with respect to sizes of bacterial and fungal populations were detected, with highest population sizes generally found in rhizospheres. In addition, the evenness of eco-physiologically differing bacterial types was higher in grassland than in arable land under rotation. At the cultivation-independent level, clear differences in the diversities of several microbial groups between permanent grassland and arable land under rotation were apparent. Bio-assays that assessed the growth of R. solani AG3 hyphae through soil indicated a greater growth suppression in grassland than in arable land soils. Similarly, an experiment performed in the glasshouse showed clear differences in both microbial diversities and suppressiveness of R. solani growth in soil, depending on the presence of either maizeor oats as the crop. The significance of these findings for designing soil managementstrategies is discussed.     

Invasion of European pine stands by a North American forest pathogen and its hybridization with a native interfertile taxon

It was recently reported that North American (NA) individuals of the forest pathogen Heterobasidion annosum were found in a single pine stand near Rome, in association with the movement of US troops during World War II. Here, we report on some aspects of the invasion biology of this pathogen in Italian coastal pinewoods, and on its interaction with native (EU) Heterobasidion populations. Spores of Heterobasidion were sampled using woody traps in pine stands along 280 km of coast around Rome. DNA of single-spore colonies was characterized by two sets of nuclear and one set of mitochondrial taxon-specific polymerase chain reaction primers. NA spores were found not only in a single site, but in many locations over a wide geographic area. Invasion occurred at an estimated rate of 1.3 km/year through invasion corridors provided by single trees, and not necessarily by sizable patches of forests. Within the 100-km long range of expansion, the NA taxon was dominant in all pure pine stands. Because abundance of the EU taxon is low and identical among stands within and outside the area invaded by NA individuals, we infer that the exotic population has invaded habitats mostly unoccupied by the native species. Discrepancy between a mitochondrial and a nuclear marker occurred in 3.8% of spores from one site, a mixed oak-pine forest where both taxa were equally represented. Combined phylogenetic analyses on nuclear and mitochondrial loci confirmed these isolates were recombinant. The finding of hybrids indicates that genetic interaction between NA and EU Heterobasidion taxa is occurring as a result of their current sympatry.     

三叶鬼针草与不同本地植物竞争对土壤 微生物和土壤养分的影响

入侵植物三叶鬼针草(Bidens pilosa)对我国农牧业生产造成了重大的损失。本文主要研究三叶鬼针草入侵与不同本地植物竞争对土壤微生物群落结构和土壤养分的影响。利用磷脂脂肪酸方法(phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs)测定土壤微生物群落组成, 同时测定土壤养分和酶活性, 并利用Canoco4.5软件分析了土壤微生物、土壤养分和土壤酶活性的相关性。结果表明: (1)三叶鬼针草对革兰氏阳性菌、革兰氏阴性菌、丛枝菌根真菌等土壤微生物具有较强的聚集能力, 且其根际土壤聚集的微生物类群与本地植物种类密切相关。(2)三叶鬼针草入侵显著增加了入侵地土壤的有机碳含量, 降低了铵态氮的含量; 土壤中的速效钾、速效磷和硝态氮的含量则与本地植物种类密切相关。(3)相关性分析表明, 16:00和16:1 ω5c对铵态氮的含量影响较大, 而三叶鬼针草入侵地16:00和16:1 ω5c的含量显著高于裸土对照, 进而推测这一状况导致了铵态氮含量的降低。(4) 15:1 anteiso A和18:1 ω5c与速效钾的含量呈显著正相关, 而其含量在狗尾草(Setaria viridis)中显著高于其他处理, 三叶鬼针草与狗尾草混种处理中土壤中速效钾的含量高于其他处理。以上结果说明, 三叶鬼针草通过改变土壤微生物群落结构影响了土壤酶活性和土壤养分, 且这种改变与入侵地本地植物种类有关。     

Going native,going local: revegetating eroded soils on the Falkland Islands using native seeds and farmland waste

Remote island ecosystems are vulnerable to human disturbance and habitat destruction, yet they often have limited capacity to revegetate degraded habitats, especially with native species. To revegetate degraded island habitats, practitioners often rely on importing non‐native species, thereby increasing the number of introduced species on islands. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of sowing wild collected native seeds and locally sourced treatments for revegetating different eroded soil types (clay, peat, and sand) across the Falkland Islands. A seed mixture of 15 native species was sown with different supportive treatments (sheep dung, sheep dags [woolly off‐cuts], and geotextile matting [coir]) and their combinations. After 1 year, native seeds provided up to 70% plant cover and accrued 1.98 kg/m² in biomass. Three key native species Elymus magellanicus, Poa flabellata, and Poa alopecurus occurred in 64, 50, and 50% of all sown plots. However, supportive treatments equally facilitated the colonization and establishment of non‐native species. At the same time, there was no difference in native plant cover and biomass across different treatments or soil types, although in the absence of supportive treatments there was little to no revegetation. Thus, locally sourced treatments (i.e. sheep dung and dags) may provide an equally effective but low‐cost alternative to imported treatments (i.e. geotextiles). We further discuss challenges of integrating revegetation using native seeds and livestock grazing on the Falkland Islands. Our study demonstrates that native species and local treatments can provide a rapid approach to revegetating degraded island habitats.     

Soil physical properties associated with the invasive spotted knapweed and native grasses are similar

Centaurea maculosa Lam. (spotted knapweed), a Eurasian perennial forb, has invaded disturbed and undisturbed semiarid grasslands in the western United States. In the past, success in controlling C. maculosa and restoring invaded areas has been limited. Most research has addressed chemical aspects of invasive species interactions with soils, while potential impacts of altered soil physical properties on C. maculosa's success has not been studied. We hypothesized that the persistence of C. maculosa in semiarid rangelands might reflect an ability to alter site conditions. The objective of this study was to compare selected soil physical properties under C. maculosa-dominated and native perennial grass-dominated areas on semiarid grassland. We used six field sites in western Montana containing adjacent plots dominated by C. maculosa and by native perennial grasses. Soil physical properties including particle size fractions, bulk density, and hydraulic and thermal properties, as well as total organic carbon content, of near-surface soils were measured for each vegetation type. Soil physical properties seldom differed between C. maculosa- and native grass-dominated areas. When soil physical properties differed, the differences were inconsistent within and among sites. Presence of C. maculosa did not alter surface soil characteristics at our six sites, thus its persistence on these semi-arid grasslands cannot be explained by an ability to alter near-surface soil characteristics.     

Plant-soil feedbacks provide an additional explanation for diversity-productivity relationships

Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) have gained attention for their role in plant community dynamics, but their role in productivity has been overlooked. We developed and tested a biomass-specific, multi-species model to examine the role of PSFs in diversity-productivity relationships. The model predicts a negative relationship between PSFs and overyielding: plants with negative PSFs grow more in communities than in monoculture (i.e. overyield), and plants with positive PSFs grow less in communities than in monoculture (i.e. underyield). This effect is predicted to increase with diversity and saturate at low species richness because the proportion of 'self-cultivated' soils rapidly decreases as species are added to a community. Results in a set of glasshouse experiments supported model predictions. We found that PSFs measured in one experiment were negatively correlated with overyielding in three-species plant communities measured in a separate experiment. Furthermore, when parametrized with our experimental PSF data, our model successfully predicted species-level overyielding and underyielding. The model was less effective at predicting community-level overyielding and underyielding, although this appeared to reflect large differences between communities with or without nitrogen-fixing plants. Results provide conceptual and experimental support for the role of PSFs in diversity-productivity relationships.     

Inoculating native microorganisms improved soil function and altered the microbial composition of a degraded soil

Restoration managers inoculate microorganisms to enhance soil function and improve restoration success, but the efficacy of these inoculations in real-world conditions is still unclear. We conducted a field experiment to test whether applying extruded seed pellets inoculated with native microbes affected soil properties related to ecosystem function in severely degraded mine soil. We found that inoculating with bacteria did not affect soil carbon, metabolic quotient (a measure of microbial stress), or basal respiration, but increased soil nitrogen by 75%, substrate-induced respiration by 147% and reduced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio by 44% compared to the control. This suggests that the bacteria inoculant contained free-living N fixers that increased the soil N content. Thus, inoculating with bacteria could supplement nitrogen fertilizers in degraded soils during soil restoration. However, we found that inoculating with a mix of bacteria and cyanobacteria did not affect any of the soil properties. This finding is counter to results in laboratory studies, suggesting that field tests are critical for understanding real-world outcomes of microbial inoculation. Finally, we found that soil microbial composition was changed by the inoculation with a mix of bacteria and cyanobacteria. None of the treatments significantly changed the diversity of soil microbial communities. Our data suggest that microbial inoculation could improve some aspects of ecosystem function and thus provide beneficial effects that might facilitate restoration of degraded sites.     

A native parasitic plant and soil microorganisms facilitate a native plant co‐occurrence with an invasive plant

Invasive plants often interact with antagonists that include native parasitic plants and pathogenic soil microbes, which may reduce fitness of the invaders. However, to date, most of the studies on the ecological consequences of antagonistic interactions between invasive plants and the resident biota focused only on pairwise interactions. A full understanding of invasion dynamics requires studies that test the effects of multiple antagonists on fitness of invasive plants and co‐occurring native plants. Here, we used an invasive plant Mikania micrantha, a co‐occurring native plant Coix lacryma‐jobi, and a native holoparasitic plant Cuscuta campestris to test whether parasitism on M. micrantha interacts with soil fungi and bacteria to reduce fitness of the invader and promote growth of the co‐occurring native plant. In a factorial setup, M. micrantha and C. lacryma‐jobi were grown together in pots in the presence versus absence of parasitism on M. micrantha by C. campestris and in the presence versus absence of full complements of soil bacteria and fungi. Fungicide and bactericide were used to suppress soil fungi and bacteria, respectively. Findings show that heavy parasitism by C. campestris caused the greatest reduction in M. micrantha biomass when soil fungi and bacteria were suppressed. In contrast, the co‐occurring native plant C. lacryma‐jobi experienced the greatest increase in biomass when grown with heavily parasitized M. micrantha and in the presence of a full complement of soil fungi and bacteria. Taken together, our results suggest that selective parasitism on susceptible invasive plants by native parasitic plants and soil microorganisms may diminish competitive ability of invasive plants and facilitate native plant coexistence with invasive plants.