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The pyrogenic bunchgrass Aristida beyrichiana is negatively affected by soil biota when planted outside of its home soil

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Abstract

Purpose

Previous research alludes to two wiregrass (Aristida beyrichiana) ecotypes from mesic and xeric environments. It is unknown whether these ecotypes are restricted by conspecific plant-soil feedbacks or specific components of mesic and xeric soils. We investigated whether biomass production of wiregrass ecotypes grown in mesic and xeric soil was affected by conspecific plant-soil feedbacks, and whether wiregrass ecotypes responded differently to the soil biota and nutrients that characterize each of the two soil types.

Methods

We established a greenhouse experiment to compare the biomass production of mesic and xeric wiregrass ecotypes in mesic and xeric soil. To establish the effects of conspecific soil conditioning, each soil type was either conditioned or unconditioned by wiregrass. To to isolate the effects of soil biota and nutrients, each combination of soil type and conditioning was replicated in three soil manipulations (i.e., whole, inoculated, and sterile soil) where each wiregrass ecotype was grown.

Results

Biomass of the xeric ecotype was marginally greater in xeric soil than in mesic soil. The mesic ecotype tended to grow more in mesic than xeric soil, but it was not significant. Soil conditioning did not affect biomass production of either ecotype. Soil biota coupled with nutrients affected biomass production of both ecotypes when not growing in their own soil.

Conclusions

We found some evidence for wiregrass ecotypes that have increased growth in their own soil type, but not for conspecific plant-soil feedbacks. Ecotypes were affected by negative interactions with soil biota when growing in a different type. Thus, the soil environment should be considered when sourcing seeds for restoration.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Foundational and Applied Science Program Award #2018-07356, McIntire-Stennis Project #FLA-FOR-005759, and the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Ordway Swisher Biological Station Jumpstart Award. We thank Ash Ehlers, Joshua Doby, and Javier Salazar Castro for assistance in the greenhouse and data collection. We are also deeply grateful to Jennifer Fill for providing valuable feedback on the manuscript. The authors additionally thank Andy Rappe and staff of the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, University of Florida, for collecting seeds from xeric pine savannas, and Mark Kann and the staff of the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit for logistical support in the greenhouse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    C. Baruzzi, J. Hong, C. Zamora & R. M. Crandall

  2. Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL, USA

    C. Stein

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  1. C. Baruzzi
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Contributions

R.M.C. conceived the idea; R.M.C., J.H., and C.S. designed the methodology; J.H., C.Z., and R.M.C. set up the experiment and collected the data; C.B. analyzed the data; C.B. and R.M.C led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the draft editing and gave final approval for publication.

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Correspondence to C. Baruzzi.

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Baruzzi, C., Hong, J., Zamora, C. et al. The pyrogenic bunchgrass Aristida beyrichiana is negatively affected by soil biota when planted outside of its home soil. Plant Soil 479, 621–630 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05548-5

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