中国科学院水利部水土保持研究所机构知识库

Plant–soil feedback (PSF) is an important driver of plant community dynamics. The role of plant species in PSF
has been emphasized for secondary succession processes; however, microbial responses to PSF and the underlying
mechanisms responsible for their effects on plant succession remain poorly understood, particularly in semiarid
grassland ecosystems. Here, we conducted a greenhouse experiment using soil collected from early-, mid-,
and late-successional plant communities to measure net pairwise PSF for species grown under monoculture.
Soils conditioned by pre-successional species had a positive feedback effect on subsequent plant species,whereas
soil conditioned by subsequent plant species had a negative feedback effect on pre-successional species. The
feedback effect of plants from different successional stages on soil bacterial and fungal communities was mainly
positive. However, the bacterial genera in the soil conditioned by early- and mid-successional species and fungal
classes in the soil conditioned by early- successional species had a negative feedback effect on late-successional
species. Thus, the effects of soil fungal and bacterial communities on species in other successional stages varied
with taxonomic level. Our results provide insight into the manner in which soil microbial communities influence
PSF responses during secondary succession processes.