Soil biota and chemical interactions promote co-existence in co-evolved grassland communities

摘要: Plant populations can exhibit local adaptation to their abiotic environment, such as climate and soil properties, well biotic components the chemical signatures of dominant plant species mutualistic pathogenic microbial populations. While patterns in individual are widely recorded, importance microevolutionary processes for community assembly function is poorly understood. Here, we examined how a history long‐term co‐existence, thus potential co‐adaptation, influenced process assembly. Soil inocula seeds eight were collected from three calcareous grasslands with long grazing within single geographical region. Mesocosm communities established using genotypes site or an artificial mixture two different sites. To investigate role root exudates (‘home’) non‐local (‘away’) biota mediators population origin treatment was combined addition activated carbon, which known adsorb soil, sterilization inocula. Individual‐, species‐ mesocosm‐level responses measured over course growing seasons. We found that promoted seedling survival, co‐existence productivity assemblages originating same but had weak impact mixed, novel communities. growth subordinate forbs restrained graminoids, particularly composed genotypes. The effects significant first 2 years experiment not detectable third year when interbreeding new establishment took place. coupled ‘home’ inoculum experienced stronger reduction compared exposed ‘away’ inoculum, indicating plants home‐field disadvantage interactions biota. Synthesis. Our study demonstrates mechanisms initial grassland depend on history, below‐ground becoming drivers dynamics potentially co‐evolved