Soil legacies of genotypic diversity enhance population resistance to water stress

While thepositive relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning is frequently observed and often attributed to direct plant-plant interactions, it remains unclear whether and how the effects of plant diversity endure through soil legacy effects, particularly at thelevel of genotypic diversity.We manipulated the genotypic diversity of <i>Scirpus mariqueter</i>and tested its soil legacy effects on aconspecific phytometer under low- and high-water availabilityconditions. We found that genotypic diversity enhancedphytometer productivity through soil legacies, with stronger effects under low-water availability conditions, improving itsresistanceto water stress. Moreover, this effect was attributed to the association of asexual and sexual reproductive strategies by increasingramet number to ensure plant survival under low-water availabilityand promotingsexual reproduction to escape stress.The observed diversity effects were primarily associated with increased levels of microbial biomass in soils trained by populations with diverse genotypes. Our findings highlight the importance of plant genotypic diversity in modulating ecosystem functioning through soil legacies, and call for management measures that promote genetic diversity to make ecosystems sustainable in the face of climate change.

尽管植物多样性与生态系统功能之间的正向关联已被频繁观测到，且通常被归因于植物间的直接相互作用，但目前仍不清楚植物多样性的效应能否以及如何通过土壤遗留效应（soil legacy effects）得以延续，尤其是在基因型多样性（genotypic diversity）层面。本研究通过操控海三棱藨草（Scirpus mariqueter）的基因型多样性，测试了其在低、高水分可获得性条件下，对同种指示植物（conspecific phytometer）的土壤遗留效应。研究发现，基因型多样性可通过土壤遗留效应提升指示植物的生产力，且在低水分可获得性条件下效应更强，进而增强了其对水分胁迫（water stress）的抗性。进一步而言，该效应可归因于无性繁殖策略（asexual reproductive strategies）与有性繁殖策略（sexual reproductive strategies）的协同配合：通过增加分株（ramet）数量以保障低水分条件下植株存活，并促进有性繁殖以规避胁迫。本研究观测到的多样性效应，主要与由多样基因型种群所驯化的土壤中微生物生物量（microbial biomass）水平提升相关。本研究结果凸显了植物基因型多样性通过土壤遗留效应调控生态系统功能的重要性，并呼吁制定促进遗传多样性的管理措施，以助力生态系统在气候变化背景下实现可持续发展。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集研究了Scirpus mariqueter基因型多样性通过土壤遗留效应对同种植物在水分胁迫条件下生长的影响，发现多样性增强了植物的抗旱能力，主要与土壤中微生物生物量的增加有关。研究强调了遗传多样性对生态系统功能的重要性。