The role of plant-soil feedbacks in stabilizing a reindeer-induced vegetation shift in subarctic tundra

1.Herbivory can drive vegetation into different states of productivity and community composition, and these changes may be stable over time due to historical contingency effects. Interactions with abiotic and biotic soil components can contribute to such long‐term legacies in plant communities through stabilizing positive feedbacks. 2.We studied the role of plant‐soil feedbacks in maintaining vegetation changes caused by historical (~1350‐1900 AD) reindeer herding in northern Sweden. These historical milking grounds (HMGs) consist of meadow plant communities formed in naturally nutrient poor heath or naturally nutrient rich shrub‐dominated vegetation, and are still clearly visible in the landscape, a century after active use ceased. 3.We selected two phytometer species: the forb Potentilla crantzii as representative of HMG vegetation, and the dwarf shrub Betula nana, as representative of control vegetation. We grew both species under glasshouse conditions on soils derived from rep...1. 植食作用（Herbivory）可将植被驱动至不同的生产力与群落组成状态，而由于历史偶然性效应，这些变化可长期保持稳定。非生物与生物土壤组分的相互作用，可通过稳定的正反馈，在植物群落中催生此类长期遗留效应。 2. 本研究围绕植物-土壤反馈（plant–soil feedbacks）在维持瑞典北部历史时期（约公元1350年—1900年）驯鹿放牧所引发的植被变化中的作用展开。此类历史牧奶场（Historical Milking Grounds, HMGs）由两类草甸植物群落构成：一类形成于自然低营养石楠荒原，另一类形成于自然高营养灌木占优植被；即便在放牧活动停止一个世纪后的今日，其景观特征仍清晰可辨。 3. 本研究选取两类指示植物（phytometer）作为实验材料：以杂类草克拉茨委陵菜（Potentilla crantzii）作为历史牧奶场植被的代表物种，以矮桦（Betula nana）作为对照植被的代表物种。我们将两个物种均种植于取自……的土壤中，并置于温室条件下培育。