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Plant phylodiversity enhances soil microbial productivity in facilitation-driven communities

  • Plant-microbe-animal interactions - Original research
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Abstract

The classical relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning can be better understood when the phylogenetic component of biodiversity is considered. We linked plant phylodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a water-limited gypsum ecosystem driven by plant facilitation. We tested whether (1) plant facilitation relaxes the abiotic filter imposed by gypsum, allowing the establishment of non-gypsophyte plant species, and consequently increasing plant phylodiversity, and (2) plant phylodiversity influences soil microbial productivity. Our data revealed that the gypsophyte Ononis tridentata spatially determines a macrophytic mosaic, ameliorates the microenvironment, and maximizes plant richness and phylodiversity through facilitating non-gypsophyte species. Beyond the direct effect of the nurse plant on soil microbial biomass, activity, and respiration, the analyses suggest a direct effect of plant phylodiversity (MPD) on these general indicators of soil microbial productivity. Plant diversity (Shannon index) neither correlated with the mentioned parameters nor with specific indicators of C, N and P cycling. This is the first report of a relationship between producer phylodiversity and decomposer productivity, which supports phylogenetic diversity as a relevant player of the ecosystem functioning.

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Acknowledgments

J.A.N. was partly funded by the Spanish SENECA Foundation (Programa de Formación Posdoctoral de Personal Investigador 2009). M.G. and C.G. acknowledge funding by the EU Marie Curie Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2009-RG-248155), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund (JAE-Doc Programme). A.M.N. acknowledges funding by the DGAPA-UNAM postdoctoral fellowship and the Early Career Project Grant from the BES (3975-4849). M.V. and A.V.B. acknowledge to CYTED (Acción 409AC0369) and MICINN (CGL2011-29585-C02-01) for funding.

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Author notes

  1. José Antonio Navarro-Cano & Marta Goberna

    Present address: Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UVEG-GV), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, Km 4.5, 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorios Ecosur, C/Castillo de Aledo, Pol.Ind. Base 2000-San Martín, 30564, Lorquí, Murcia, Spain

    José Antonio Navarro-Cano

  2. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain

    Marta Goberna & Carlos García

  3. Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, C.P. 04510, Mexico, DF, Mexico

    Alfonso Valiente-Banuet & Alicia Montesinos-Navarro

  4. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UVEG-GV), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, Km 4.5, 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain

    Miguel Verdú

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  1. José Antonio Navarro-Cano
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  2. Marta Goberna
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Correspondence to José Antonio Navarro-Cano.

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Communicated by Maria J. Pozo.

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Navarro-Cano, J.A., Goberna, M., Valiente-Banuet, A. et al. Plant phylodiversity enhances soil microbial productivity in facilitation-driven communities. Oecologia 174, 909–920 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2822-5

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