Soil microbial diversity in the Maintenance of Exotic vs. Native Diversity experiment (multiyear study)

Grasslands dominated by non-native species (novel ecosystems) have replaced purely native-dominated areas in many parts of the world. This replacement has led to altered plant-plant interactions aboveground, but it is poorly understood how soil microbial communities differ between native and exotic sites. We tested how exotic vs. native plant species and summer irrigation affect bacterial and fungal community composition and structure.