Intraspecific plant-soil feedback in four tropical tree species is inconsistent in a field experiment

Soil microbes can influence patterns of diversity in plant communities via plant-soil feedbacks. Intraspecific plant-soil feedbacks occur when plant genotype causes variation in soil microbial composition, resulting in differences in the performance of seedlings growing near their maternal plants versus seedlings growing near non-maternal conspecific plants. How consistently such intraspecific plant-soil feedbacks occur in natural plant communities is unclear, especially under variable field conditions. We conducted an in situ experiment with four native tree species on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Seedlings of each species were transplanted beneath their maternal tree or another conspecific tree in the BCI forest. Mortality and growth were assessed at the end of the wet season (~4 months post-transplant) and at the end of the experiment (~7 months post-transplant). Differences in seedling performance among field treatments were inconsistent among species and eroded over time. E..., In an in-situ field experiment on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, we collected biomass, growth, and survival data on experimental seedlings of four tropical tree species., , # Intraspecific plant-soil feedback in four tropical tree species is inconsistent in a field experiment

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Here we present the data and R script used to produce the results described in our manuscript of the same name. This includes three elements: 1) data collected on seedlings of four tropical tree species during a field experiment conducted on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, 2) summary data formatted to enable easy plotting of the survival of seedlings in that same experiment, and 3) the R script that supported analysis of the experimental data.

In brief, to test whether conspecific seedling performance was reduced near maternal conspecific trees relative to non-parent conspecific trees, we conducted an in situ experiment with four native tree species on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Seedlings of each species were transplanted beneath their maternal tree or another conspecific tree in the BCI forest. Mortality and growth were assessed at the end of the wet season (~4 ...