Data from: Disruption of plant-soil-microbial relationships influences plant growth

Differential dispersal of plant and microbial propagules may result in the
geographical disassociation of plant populations from their local abiotic
conditions and microbial communities, especially in the face of species
introductions and changing climates. To assess the potential consequences
of disrupting historical relationships between plant populations,
microbial communities, and soil conditions, we grew Carpinus caroliniana
seedlings from populations across the species range in combinations of
sterilized soils and soil microbial communities, in soils collected from
sites with or without conspecific trees. This controlled environment study
simulated the consequences for seedling growth of independently or jointly
disrupting the historical plant population-soil match, plant
population-microbial community match, and microbial community-soil match.
Seedlings grown in soils from areas without conspecifics had lower
biomass, but benefited from inoculation with their historical microbial
communities. For conspecific-cultured soils, growth was optimized when
seedlings grew with novel microbial communities, but only when microbial
communities were local with respect to abiotic soil conditions.
Correlative evidence suggests that this may stem from alignment of
ectomycorrhizal fungal communities to abiotic soil conditions. Synthesis:
Maintaining historical plant-microbial community relationships may benefit
plant species spreading into new areas; however, for movement within
current ranges, maintaining the historical relationship between microbial
communities and the abiotic aspects of soils may have more important
consequences for early growth.