Abstract Alternative states maintained by feedbacks are notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. Although positive interactions that modify soil conditions may have the greatest potential to alter self‐reinforcing feedbacks, the conditions leading to these state change reversals have not been resolved. In a 9‐yr study, we modified horizontal connectivity of resources by wind or water on different geomorphic surfaces in an attempt to alter plant–soil feedbacks and shift woody‐plant‐dominated states back toward perennial grass dominance. Modifying connectivity resulted in an increase in litter cover regardless of the vector of transport (wind, water) followed by an increase in perennial grass cover 2 yr later. Modifying connectivity was most effective on sandy soils where wind is the dominant vector, and least effective on gravelly soils on stable surfaces with low sediment movement by water. We found that grass cover was related to precipitation in the first 5 yr of our study, and plant–soil feedbacks developed following 6 yr of modified connectivity to overwhelm effects of precipitation on sandy, wind‐blown soils. These feedbacks persisted through time under variable annual rainfall. On alluvial soils, either plant–soil feedbacks developed after 7 yr that were not persistent (active soils) or did not develop (stable soils). This novel approach has application to drylands globally where desertified lands have suffered losses in ecosystem services, and to other ecosystems where connectivity‐mediated feedbacks modified at fine scales can be expected to impact plant recovery and state change reversals at larger scales, in particular for wind‐impacted sites.

中文翻译：

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修改连通性以促进状态变化逆转：地貌背景和植物 - 土壤反馈的重要性

摘要 众所周知，由反馈维持的替代状态即使不是不可能也很难逆转。尽管改变土壤条件的积极相互作用可能最有可能改变自增强反馈，但导致这些状态变化逆转的条件尚未得到解决。在一项为期 9 年的研究中，我们通过风或水在不同地貌表面上修改了资源的水平连通性，试图改变植物 - 土壤反馈并将木本植物主导的状态转变为多年生草本优势。改变连通性导致凋落物覆盖增加，而不管运输媒介（风、水）如何，随后 2 年后多年生草覆盖增加。修改连通性在风是主要矢量的沙质土壤上最有效，在稳定表面上的砾石土壤上效果最差，水的沉积物运动低。我们发现草覆盖与我们研究的前 5 年的降水有关，并且在 6 年改变连通性后形成了植物 - 土壤反馈，以压倒降水对沙质、风吹土壤的影响。这些反馈在年降雨量变化的情况下随着时间的推移持续存在。在冲积土壤上，7 年后植物-土壤反馈要么不持久（活跃土壤），要么不发展（稳定土壤）。这种新颖的方法已应用于全球干旱地区，那里的荒漠化土地在生态系统服务方面遭受了损失，以及其他生态系统，在这些生态系统中，在精细尺度上修改的连通性介导的反馈有望在更大范围内影响植物恢复和状态变化逆转，