title: Root biomass and exudates link plant diversity with soil bacterial and fungal biomass.
abstract: Plant diversity has been shown to determine the composition and functioning of soil biota. Although root-derived organic inputs are discussed as the main drivers of soil communities, experimental evidence is scarce. While there is some evidence that higher root biomass at high plant diversity increases substrate availability for soil biota, several studies have speculated that the quantity and diversity of root inputs into the soil, i.e. though root exudates, drive plant diversity effects on soil biota. Here we used a microcosm experiment to study 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. Plant diversity significantly increased shoot biomass, root biomass, the amount of root exudates, bacterial biomass, and fungal biomass. Fungal biomass increased most with increasing plant diversity resulting in a significant shift in the fungal-to-bacterial biomass ratio at high plant diversity. Fungal biomass increased significantly with plant diversity-induced increases in root biomass and the amount of root exudates. These results suggest that plant diversity enhances soil microbial biomass, particularly soil fungi, by increasing root-derived organic inputs.
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eisenhauer
authors.affiliation: Université François Rabelais de Tours. EA 2106 Plant Biotechnology and Biomolecules, 31 Avenue Monge, F-37200 Tours, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanoue
authors.affiliation: Georg August University Göttingen, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.affiliation: Georg August University Göttingen, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheu
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steinauer
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Madhav P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesje
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mommer
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D044822:Biodiversity; D018533:Biomass; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005960:Glucosides; D012987:Soil; D013267:Stilbenes; C100058:vanillin; C058229:polydatin