Soil remembers but not too much: plant-soil feedback legacies over two generations of plants

In this study, we aimed to investigate the importance of plant-soil feedback in multi-species grassland communities. Specifically, we asked whether (i) plant-soil feedback of a dominant plant species detected under classical experimental conditions is the same as the effect of this dominant detected in a species rich herbaceous community, and (ii) the specific legacy generated by a plant species persists in the soil or if it is masked by the legacy of subsequently growing plant species. Additionally, we aimed to peek into the black box of soil feedbacks and asked whether (iii) the individual components (changes in soil chemical properties and composition of microbial communities) change in their persistency in the soil.