Plant diversity and root traits benefit physical properties key to soil function in grasslands.
Plant diversity and root traits benefit physical properties key to soil function in grasslands.
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DOI：
10.1111/ele.12652
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发表时间：
2016-09
期刊：
影响因子：
8.8
通讯作者：
Bardgett RD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gould IJ;Quinton JN;Weigelt A;De Deyn GB;Bardgett RD
植物多样性的丧失损害生态系统的功能，包括对土壤的重要影响。然而，大多数探索地下植物多样性影响的研究主要集中在生物过程上。因此，我们对植物多样性如何影响土壤物理环境的理解仍然有限，尽管土壤物理结构在确保土壤功能和生态系统服务提供方面发挥着重要作用。在这里，在温室和长期的实地研究中，我们表明，草地系统中的高植物多样性增加了土壤团聚体的稳定性，这是土壤的一个重要结构特性，而根系性状在决定多样性效应方面发挥着重要作用。我们还发现，混合群落中特定植物物种的存在会影响更广泛的土壤物理过程，包括水文和土壤强度制度。我们的研究结果表明，除了对生态系统功能的影响，植物多样性和根系性状也有利于基本的土壤物理性质。
Plant diversity loss impairs ecosystem functioning, including important effects on soil. Most studies that have explored plant diversity effects belowground, however, have largely focused on biological processes. As such, our understanding of how plant diversity impacts the soil physical environment remains limited, despite the fundamental role soil physical structure plays in ensuring soil function and ecosystem service provision. Here, in both a glasshouse and a long‐term field study, we show that high plant diversity in grassland systems increases soil aggregate stability, a vital structural property of soil, and that root traits play a major role in determining diversity effects. We also reveal that the presence of particular plant species within mixed communities affects an even wider range of soil physical processes, including hydrology and soil strength regimes. Our results indicate that alongside well‐documented effects on ecosystem functioning, plant diversity and root traits also benefit essential soil physical properties.