Aims Plant roots often encounter heterogeneity in soil water content and respond by compensating water uptake from wet zones to cope with the transpiration demand. Simultaneously, plants may also exhibit root-mediated hydraulic redistribution from wet to dry zones. Experiments were conducted to simultaneously monitor compensated root water uptake and hydraulic redistribution in the vadose zone. Methods

Background and aims One goal of revegetating riparian zones is to mitigate nutrient movement into waterways, however release of dissolved nutrients and organic compounds from decaying leaf litter during rainfall may partially offset these benefits. We aim to understand how litter-derived nutrients and organics affect nutrient leaching from riparian soil, and how tree species affect these processes

Background and aims Field pea production is greatly impacted by multiple soil-borne fungal and oomycete pathogens in a complex. The objectives of this research were to 1) identify the soil-borne pathogens associated with field pea in North Dakota and; 2) develop prediction models incorporating the occurrence of the soil-borne pathogen communities, soil edaphic properties and disease incidence. Methods

Aims We quantified the potential influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on primary productivity and community stability and tested whether the effects of AMF depend on soil phosphorus (P) availability and grazing intensity in a semiarid grassland. Methods We manipulated the abundance of AMF and soil P availability (P addition and no P addition) under four levels of grazing intensity. The aboveground

Aims Soil aggregates constitute spatially-separated microbial habitats and architectural units for biogeochemical reactions. However, little is known about how aggregates varying in size can affect soil carbon (C) storage and mediate the direction of plant-soil interactions. Methods In a meadow steppe, we assessed soil aggregate C storage affected by nitrogen (N) addition and mowing and to what degree

Aims Phyllostachys praecox is one of the bamboo species that cultivated extensively in southern China. An organic material mulching technique is commonly adopted in winter to increase the yield of bamboo shoots and profits. However, P. praecox is inevitable to be declined when using the technique continuously. Accordingly, we conducted an aeration study to explore the mechanism of the bamboo recession

Aims Quantification of variations in plant available water holding capacity (PAWC) of soils helps to improve yield forecast and inform spatially variable management practices in dryland agriculture systems. We developed and tested a general inverse approach to estimate PAWC from crop yield. Methods The APSIM model was used to simulate wheat yield on synthetic soils with contrasting PAWC and climates

Background and aims Although phytolith analysis is a promising tool for reconstructing the palaeovegetation in grassland ecosystems, no phytolith study has yet attempted to quantitatively reconstruct the corresponding plant community characteristics. Questions remain regarding whether or not soil phytoliths can quantitatively reflect various aspects of grassland physiognomy, and how well modern phytoliths

Aims The tropical nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulator plants, Rinorea cf. bengalensis and Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi, are locally common on ultramafic soils in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. The aim of this study was to determine whether the structure and diversity of R. cf. bengalensis rhizosphere microbial communities were dependant on the Ni concentrations in the different rhizosphere

Aims The major factors controlling the soil methane (CH4) concentration and CH4 emissions of various plant (mainly wetland) species were identified. Methods Five plant species (Oryza sativa, Zizania latifolia, Phragmites australis, Sesbania cannabina, and Bidens tripartita) were separately cultivated under the flooded soil conditions. The direct CH4 scavenging potential of B. tripartita roots was also

Aims We investigated whether tree species growing in mixtures and under different water supply would segregate their fine roots vertically, produce more fine roots overall, or only in specific soil layers. Methods We examined the biomass, morphology, and distribution of fine roots down to 90 cm (forest floor, 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–90 cm) in pure and mixed stands of 10-year-old birch and pine

Background and Aims Declaring the drought-resistance of plant communities in grassland and the underlying mechanisms is crucial under climatic change scenario. Here we aimed to quantify aboveground & belowground net primary productivity (ANPP & BNPP) and their allocation in response to extreme droughts, and to uncover any underlying factors of drought resistance. Methods We experimentally reduced growing

Aims Topographic positions within a natural forest can considerably influence litter traits, soil microbial characteristics, and nitrogen (N) mineralization, causing plant–soil feedbacks. Despite the high abundance of coarse litter (woody debris and coarse roots) in forest ecosystems, most studies have focused on linkages between fine litter (leaves and fine roots) and N dynamics and/or the soil microbial

Aims The hydrolysis of organic P in soils is a relevant aspect contributing to the supply P to plants, which is affected by adsorbent capacity and biological properties of soils. This work aimed at studying the contribution of phytate to plant nutrition as affected by Fe oxides and phosphohydrolases releasing microorganisms in the growing medium. Methods An experiment with cucumber and myo-inositol

Background and aims Changes in snow cover can influence root growth and distribution of herbaceous species in water limiting desert ecosystems. However, how the growth of root systems of herbaceous species responds to snow cover changes remains unclear. Thus, the present study was aimed to examine the influence of snow cover changes on root growth of herbaceous species in a temperate desert of central

Aims Increasing evidence shows that root system growth is strongly affected by different nitrogen (N) signals and the available N source in the rhizosphere. Molybdenum (Mo), an essential trace element, plays a key role in N assimilation and metabolism. However, Mo efficacy may vary with different N sources. The present experiment was performed to examine the Mo role on root system growth in winter

Background and aims Plant growth affects soil moisture, mineral N and organic C availability in soil, all of which influence denitrification. With increasing plant growth, root exudation may stimulate denitrification, while N uptake restricts nitrate availability. Methods We conducted a double labeling pot experiment with either maize (Zea mays L.) or cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) of the same

The article “Imaging plant responses to water deficit using electrical resistivity tomography”, written by Sathyanarayan Rao, Nolwenn Lesparre, Adrián Flores-Orozco, Florian Wagner, Andreas Kemna and Mathieu Javaux, was originally published Online First without Open Access.

Aims Seed endophytic bacterial (SEB) communities have been little studied to date, although these microorganisms may assist seeds and seedlings to cope with environmental stresses. Hyperaccumulators have become models for studying plant adaptation to extreme environments, such as metalliferous soils. This work aims to characterize the endophytic bacterial communities associated with hyperaccumulating

Aims Contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies would explain why species differ in their distribution in relation to soil phosphorus (P) availability, promoting diversity. However, what drives the differential distribution of plant species with the same P-acquisition strategy remains poorly understood. Methods We selected two Haemodoraceae species, Anigozanthos flavidus and Macropidia fuliginosa

Aims Sand-fixing shrub Salix gordejevii plays an important role in sand dune stabilization but often shows severe decline and mortality on the windward slopes of active dunes. The objective of this study was to explore the environmental drivers and physiological mechanisms behind its decline and mortality on the windward slopes of active sand dunes. Methods The xylem hydraulics, sap flow, water relations

Aims Perennial plants play important roles in maintaining ecosystem functions by forming fertile islands beneath their canopies. Little is known about how the fertile island effect varies among different patch types and across climatic gradients, or what drives the strength of its effect. Methods We assessed biotic (plants, biocrusts, litter) and abiotic (soil infiltrability, labile carbon, enzymes)

Aims This study aimed to establish elemental profiles and to spatially resolve the elemental distribution in five New Caledonian woody Ni hyperaccumulator plant species (Geissois pruinosa var. pruinosa, Homalium francii, Hybanthus austrocaledonicus, Psychotria gabriellae, and Pycnandra acuminata) originating from the Cunoniaceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae, Rubiaceae, and Sapotaceae families respectively

Aims The objective of this study was to analyze the responses of the soil fungal community to the afforestation of cropland with single and mixed tree species. Methods We investigated changes in soil fungal community composition, diversity, structure and functional groups in the topsoil (0–20 cm) following afforestation. Six forest types were analyzed in this study: Robinia pseudoacacia (RP), Platycladus

Aim Nutrient resorption from senescing tissues is the most critical nutrient source for plants in degradation grasslands, playing critical roles to primary productivity and interspecies competitiveness. Hence within-species and among-species variation of nutrient resorption is one of the mechanisms explaining the increasing productivity and decreasing biodiversity after enclosure. Yet, the response

Aims Root lesion nematodes (RLN) have negative impacts on legume-grass systems. These impacts might be moderated by bacterial feeding nematodes (BFN) presence. It remains unknown how these trophic groups of nematodes interactively impact plant productivity and dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in grass-legume mixtures. We addressed this research gap using inter-kingdom interactions in a model

Background and aims Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB)-assisted phytoremediation, is a promising technique for the removal of copper (Cu) from contaminated soils. Moreover, soil salinity is considered to be one of the major threats to plant growth, and may therefore affect the progress and impact of the plant-driven phytoremediation. In this regard, the multiple interactions among Cu-salinity-plant-microbe

Aims Evaluate crop rotation diversity, perenniality, carbon (C) inputs, and C input quality as predictors of soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD). Methods At a crop rotation trial in its 37th year in Ontario, Canada, species in rotations included corn (C, Zea mays L.), alfalfa (A, Medicago sativa L.), soybean (S, Glycine max (L.) Merr.), winter wheat (W,

Aim Rice (Oryza sativa L.) being the most important crop for human population in Asia region, accounts for 23% of the world’s caloric intake. Due to the changing climatic conditions, the agricultural crops are experiencing vagaries of the weather more frequently leading to yield losses and even crop failure. The objective of this study was to find out a suitable consortium of bacterial inoculants which

Aims A new method, based on the latent variable measurement model, was recently developed to quantify generalised soil fertility (FG) in grassland ecosystems; i.e. the productive capacity of a soil at a multispecific scale when non-soil variables are held constant. To predict FG values, this method uses the relative growth rates (RGR) of Festuca rubra, Trifolium pratense, Triticum aestivum and Arabidopsis

Background and aims Identifying root types helps understand the diversity of the morphogenetic capacities of root axes. Unfortunately, root types are generally defined arbitrarily. We used an unsupervised clustering method to define root types and examine the ontogeny of the Pinus pinaster root system. Methods K-clustering was first used on four root traits, including three geometric architectural

Aims To examine the potential mechanistic predictors of germination and first-year survival in two species of Great Basin sub-alpine trees along an elevation gradient on three soil types. Methods Using a network of experimental gardens, we sowed limber pine and Great Basin bristlecone pine along elevational gradients at three sites on three different soil types. We collected germination and first-year

Aims This study sought to evaluate how soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) stocks vary following the conversion of a deciduous natural forest (DNF) to a paddy rice farm (PRF), a seventy-year-old Pinus koraiensis monoculture (CP70), a mixed forest (MF) plantation, and a P. koraiensis monoculture resulting from the re-plantation of a portion of the CP70 attacked by bugs. Methods Soil samples

Aim We investigated how substrate hydraulic properties respond to the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in root-containing and root-free substrate zones in a Medicago truncatula-Rhizophagus irregularis model system. Methods Before planting, two compartments constructed from standard soil sampling cores (250 cm3) were implanted into non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal pots containing a sand-zeolite-soil

Aims Nascent polyploids, or neopolyploids, frequently arise within diploid plant lineages and are expected to experience increased requirements for growth-limiting nutrients because of building a larger genome. Because this may have important consequences for the ecology of neopolyploids, we need studies that track the lifetime fitness effects of whole genome duplication. Here we investigated how multiple

Aims An Italian ryegrass cultivar (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cv. Bb2067), selected and bred for increased leaf magnesium (Mg) concentration in the 1970s, reduced the incidence of hypomagnesaemia in sheep under experimental grazings. Here, we report evidence from archival experiments showing that cv. Bb2067 had consistently greater Mg concentrations at multiple sites. We also aimed to quantify variation

Aims Abandoned agricultural land may be used for tree plantations. This study aimed at quantifying the effects on soil chemistry almost one decade after planting. The results can contribute to the understanding of plant-soil interactions at afforestation. Methods An experiment including birch, hybrid aspen, larch, poplar and spruce was established at four former arable sites in Sweden. Soil samples

Aims To identify factors driving soil respiration (Rsoil) in a tropical C4-dominated perennial managed grassland ecosystem exposed to elevated carbon (C) dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and temperature. Methods The perennial grass Panicum maximum was grown at 600 μmol CO2 mol−1 and + 2 °C above ambient temperatures for one full growing cycle (from grazing to regrowth for about ~30–45 days) using a free-air

The heavy metal concentration in plant tissues of Ranunculus ficaria, Plantago major, Taraxacum officinale, and Achillea millefolium, frequently consumed or used in traditional medicine, collected from one of radioactive area of Romania, not been previously reported by any research group. The content of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb were determined by ICP-MS. To evaluate the level of pollution, the plants

Aims The capacity of plant roots to directly acquire organic nitrogen (N) in the form of oligopeptides and amino acids from soil is well established. However, plants have poor access to protein, the central reservoir of soil organic N. Our question is: do plants actively secrete proteases to enhance the breakdown of soil protein or are they functionally reliant on soil microorganisms to undertake this

Aims Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) has high nitrogen (N) requirement for its optimal growth and yield. However, little is known about the transcriptomic reprogramming of rapeseed in response to N deficiency. Methods Two rapeseed genotypes with contrasting N use efficiency (NUE) were used to perform whole-transcriptome sequencing on the shoots and roots supplied with or without N in a time-course

Aims The form of nitrogen (N) supply influences photorespiration in C3 plants, but whether nitrate (NO3−) regulates photorespiration and, if so, the underlying mechanisms for such regulation are still unclear. Methods Three hydroponic experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to investigate the relationships between leaf NO3− concentrations and photorespiration rates in rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes

Aims Mediterranean shrublands adjacent to urbanization experience nitrogen deposition and exotic grass invasions which likely have downstream consequences for carbon and nitrogen emissions from soils. We tested a hypothesis that soil wetting produces trace gas pulses modified by seasonal wetting history, grass litter availability, and cover type in these systems. Methods Over two seasons, we conducted

Aims We investigated N2-fixation by moss-cyanobacterial associations in a North American prairie ecosystem, identifying cyanobacteria associated with moss species, and evaluating spatio-temporal dynamics in N2-fixation rates. Methods We confirmed the presence and abundance of N2-fixing cyanobacteria on three moss species (Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., Racomitrium elongatum Frisvoll, Rhytidiadelphus

Aim (1) To understand the tree root-soil interaction under lateral and moment loading using a physical modelling technique; (2) To detect the possible factors (e.g. root architecture, water condition, and stress level) influencing a tree’s push-over behaviour; (3) To identify suitable scaling laws to use in physical modelling. Methods Two 1:20 scaled root models with different architectures (namely

Background and aims The deposition of atmospheric N is expected to increase in the future; however, our understanding of the responses of C:N stoichiometry to N deposition in plants, soil, and microorganisms remains elusive. We aim to explore the general patterns and mechanisms of terrestrial C:N stoichiometry to N addition. Methods We present a global meta-analysis based on 827 paired observations

Aims Root exudates of soybean grown under low-, normal-, and high-K+ conditions were evaluated using metabolomics. Methods Two soybean cultivars, ‘Satonohohoemi’ (low-K-tolerant) and ‘Tachinagaha’ (low-K sensitive), were hydroponically grown with 6 (K6), 60 (K60), and 120 (K120) mg K L−1 for 7 and 14 days after transplanting (DAT). Root exudates were collected, and metabolites were evaluated using

Background and aims Intensification of savannah land-use is predicted to negatively influence soil biodiversity and functioning such as litter decomposition by detritivores. Loss of macrodetritivores, particularly termites, may be problematic in drier savannahs due to the capacity of macrodetritivores to sustain litter decomposition. Here we investigate how human land-use and spatiotemporal rainfall

Background and aims The relationship between wheat root exudates and watermelon rhizosphere microbial communities in wheat/watermelon cropping system is well documented now, however, less is known about the activity of allelochemicals in wheat root exudates against watermelon Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON), and how it may influence belowground plant-microbe interactions for disease control

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The authors would like to add Andreas Kemna as the fifth author of this paper. The updated list of authors as well as the complete affiliation is presented in this correction article.

The enigma of soil nitrogen balance sheets originally described by Allison in 1955 has endured for 65 years. Originally the accounting showed a positive balance between N gains and losses, which indicated a failure to measure all losses, widely suspected of being gaseous N emissions. Measurement of organic, inorganic and gaseous N forms derived from 15N-enriched nitrate added to soils under both anaerobic

Aims The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by soil microbes modulated plant growth and development. Floccularia luteovirens, an edible mushroom, is beneficial to the growth of alpine meadow plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We aimed to elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the mushroom fungal VOC-mediated plant growth and development. Methods Here, we investigated

Aims This research aimed to establish how Hordeum vulgare responds to abiotic and biotic stress affecting in tandem. Methods Plants were inoculated with Heterodera filipjevi and treated with cadmium (Cd) concentration (5 μM) that can occur in the cultivated soil. To verify the hypothesis about participation of increased antioxidative defence in H. vulgare under stress, biochemical and microscopic methods

Background and aims Microbial communities play an important regulatory role in soil carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Most studies on microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling focus on surface soils (0–20 cm). However, relatively little is known about how structure and functioning of microbial communities shift with depth in a soil profile, which is crucial to understand

Aims Conventional agriculture promotes negative feedbacks of soil microbes on crop performance (plant soil feedbacks, PSFs) by stimulating species-specific pathogens. Crop traits, modified by domestication, also influence PSFs. Therefore, we asked if crop cultivars and their wild progenitors promote soil pathogens and mutualists differently, and thus trigger different PSFs. Methods We studied PSFs

Aim Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth. A modified up-down two-compartment system, with the addition of 15N-labelled wheat straw in the hyphal compartment (HC), was set up to investigate the effects of vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on improving 15N mineralisation from wheat straw and uptake by lettuce. Methods Lettuce yield, the 15N contents of shoots and roots

Aims Tropical perennial grasses that can rapidly establish deep roots have a greater potential to survive soil surface drying sooner after establishment. This research aimed to identify species that establish deep roots quickly and to investigate the mechanisms that drove rapid vertical root development. Methods Perennial grass species Brachiaria brizantha, Brachiaria decumbens, Brachiaria humidicola

Aims Vertical fine-root distribution determines the potential for acquisition of resources throughout soil profiles; yet, variation among forest types and changes in vertical distribution with environments are poorly understood. We examined vertical root distributions of different forest communities to determine how belowground strategies shift across different forest types and along edaphic gradients

Background and aims Root-released carboxylates enhance the availability of manganese (Mn), which enters roots through transporters with low substrate specificity. Leaf Mn concentration ([Mn]) has been proposed as a signature for phosphorus (P)-mobilising carboxylates in the rhizosphere. Here we test whether leaf [Mn] provides a signature for root functional types related to P acquisition. Methods Across

Aims In 2012, Italian kiwifruit orchards were hit by a serious root disease of unknown aetiology (kiwifruit decline, KD) that still causes extensive damage to the sector. While waterlogging was soon observed to be associated with its outbreak, the putative role of soil microbiota remains unknown. This work investigates the role of these two factors in the onset of the disease. Methods Historical rainfall