The role of biotic and chemical factors in plant-soil feedback of primary successional plants

During primary succession, vegetation and soil form important feedbacks: plants influence the soil via exudates, litter inputs and accumulation of associated microorganisms, and all of these changes have potential to impact further plant performance. Previous studies showed that such plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) that are known can to enhance plant species turnover during succession. However, the specific mechanisms underlying such plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) and the relative importance of their abiotic and biotic components remain uncler. In this study, we focused on PSFs interactions among 12 species from different successional stages in a limestone quarry and explored the underlying changes in abiotic and biotic conditions. We explored the changes in abiotic and biotic soil conditions induced by individual species, and the effects of these changes on further plant germination and biomass production.