Plant-soil interactions have been shown to determine plant community composition in a wide range of environments. However, how plants distinctly interact with beneficial and detrimental organisms across mosaic landscapes containing fragmented habitats is still poorly understood. We experimentally tested feedback responses between plants and soil microbial communities from adjacent habitats across a disturbance gradient within a human-modified tropical montane landscape. In a greenhouse experiment, two components of soil microbial communities were amplified; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and a filtrate excluding AMF spores from the soils of pastures (high disturbance), coffee plantations (intermediate disturbance), and forest fragments (low disturbance), using potted seedlings of 11 plant species common in these habitats (pasture grass, coffee, and 9 native species). We then examined their effects on growth of these same 11 host species with reciprocal habitat inoculation. Most plant species received a similar benefit from AMF, but differed in their response to the filtrates from the three habitats. Soil filtrate from pastures had a net negative effect on plant growth, while filtrates from coffee plantations and forests had a net positive effect on plant growth. Pasture grass, coffee and five pioneer tree species performed better with the filtrate from “away” (where these species rarely occur) compared to “home” (where these species typically occur) habitat soils, while four shade tolerant tree species grew similarly with filtrates from different habitats. These results suggest that pastures accumulate species-specific soil enemies, while coffee plantations and forests accumulate beneficial soil microbes that benefit pioneer native plants and coffee, respectively. Thus, compared to AMF, soil filtrates exerted stronger habitat and host-specific effects on plants, being more important mediators of plant-soil feedbacks across contrasting habitats.
Plant relative growth rate (RGR) with live (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil microbial filtrates) from pastures, coffee plantations and forest fragments
The data was collected from a greenhouse experiment in which 11 plant species (read below) were growth with either sterilized soil, or sterilized soil inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) or a soil microbial filtrate obtained from three habitats: pastures, coffee plantations, or forest fragments. Please read Pizano et al. 2017 Ecological Applications for details on the methods. Abbreviations of the data file are as follows: Inoculum (St=Sterile, PAMF=AMF from pastures, PFil=soil microbial filtrate from pastures, CAMF=AMF from coffee plantations, CFil=soil microbial filtrate from coffee plantations, FAMF=AMF from forest fragments, FFil=soil microbial filtrate from forest fragments), Species (Bra=Brachiaria brizantha, Cof=Coffea arabica, CecA=Cecropia angustifolia, CecT=Cecropia telealba, Ocr=Ochroma pyramidale, Sol=Solanum aphyodendrum, Jug=Juglans neotropica, Ret=Retrophyllum rospigliosii, Gar=Garcinia madrunno, Gus=Gustavia superba, Sip=Siparuna aspera), Total final dw (total whole plant dry biomass (g)), Root/Shoot (root dry biomass (g)/shoot (stem + leaves) dry biomass (g)), Initial leaf area (total plant leaf area (cm2), RGR (plant relative growth rate (final plant dry weight-initial plant dry weight calculated based on initial leaf area/ days of the experiment)(g/gday)), Days in exp. (days in the experiment; some plants were replaced because they died at the beginning of the experiment)
Pizano et al. 2017 Ecological Applications Sterile and live inoculum.csv
Plnt relative growth rate (RGR) with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil microbial filtrates from pastures, coffee plantations and forest fragments
The data was collected from a greenhouse experiment in which 11 plant species (read below) were growth with sterilized soil inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) or a soil microbial filtrate obtained from three habitats: pastures, coffee plantations, or forest fragments. Please read Pizano et al. 2017 Ecological Applications for details on the methods. Abbreviations of the data file are as follows: Block (Block=block (bench) where the plant was located in the greenhouse where the experiment took place) Habitat (Habitat of origin of the soil P= pastures, C=coffee plantations, F= forest fragments), Inoculum (AMF=arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Fil=soil microbial filtrate), Species (Bra=Brachiaria brizantha, Cof=Coffea arabica, CecA=Cecropia angustifolia, CecT=Cecropia telealba, Ocr=Ochroma pyramidale, Sol=Solanum aphyodendrum, Jug=Juglans neotropica, Ret=Retrophyllum rospigliosii, Gar=Garcinia madrunno, Gus=Gustavia superba, Sip=Siparuna aspera), Total final dw (total whole plant dry biomass (g)), Root/Shoot (root dry biomass (g)/shoot (stem + leaves) dry biomass (g)), Initial leaf area (total plant leaf area (cm2), RGR (plant relative growth rate (final plant dry weight-initial plant dry weight calculated based on initial leaf area/ days of the experiment)(g/gday)), Days in exp. (days in the experiment; some plants were replaced because they died at the beginning of the experiment)
Pizano et al. 2017 Ecological Applications Live Inoculum.csv