title: Phylogenetic conservatism in plant-soil feedback and its implications for plant abundance.
abstract: We examined whether plant-soil feedback and plant-field abundance were phylogenetically conserved. For 57 co-occurring native and exotic plant species from an old field in Canada, we collected a data set on the effects of three soil biota treatments on plant growth: net whole-soil feedback (combined effects of mutualists and antagonists), feedback with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) collected from soils of conspecific plants, and feedback with Glomus etunicatum, a dominant mycorrhizal fungus. We found phylogenetic signal in both net whole-soil feedback and feedback with AMF of conspecifics; conservatism was especially strong among native plants but absent among exotics. The abundance of plants in the field was also conserved, a pattern underlain by shared plant responses to soil biota. We conclude that soil biota influence the abundance of close plant relatives in nature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Anacker
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Klironomos
authors.forename: Hafiz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maherali
authors.forename: Kurt O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Reinhart
authors.forename: Sharon Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: AMF; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Glomus etunicatum; exotic; introduced; old field; phylogenetic signal; phylogeny; plant community assembly; plant-soil feedbacks