Modelling how negative plant–soil feedbacks across life stages affect the spatial patterning of trees

Scientific Reports, vol. 13, pp. 19128

Abstract

In this work, we theoretically explore how litter decomposition processes and soil-borne pathogens contribute to negative plant-soil feedbacks, in particular in transient and stable spatial organisation of tropical forest trees and seedlings known as Janzen-Connell distributions. By considering soil-borne pathogens and autotoxicity both separately and in combination in a phenomenological model, we can study how both factors may affect transient dynamics and emerging Janzen-Connell distributions. We also identify parameter regimes associated with different long-term behaviours. Moreover, we compare how the strength of negative plant-soil feedbacks was mediated by tree germination and growth strategies, using a combination of analytical approaches and numerical simulations. Our interdisciplinary investigation, motivated by an ecological question, allows us to construct important links between local feedbacks, spatial self-organisation, and community assembly. Our model analyses contribute to understanding the drivers of biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, by disentangling the abilities of two potential mechanisms to generate Janzen-Connell distributions. Furthermore, our theoretical results may help guiding future field data analyses by identifying spatial signatures in adult tree and seedling distribution data that may reflect the presence of particular plant-soil feedback mechanisms.

Authors 6

1. Annalisa Iuorio corresponding

   University of Vienna · Parthenope University of Naples

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Engineering, Centro Direzionale-Isola C4, Parthenope University of Naples, 80143, Naples, Italy. annalisa.iuorio@univie.ac.at

   Faculty of Mathematics, University of Vienna, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, 1090, Vienna, Austria. annalisa.iuorio@univie.ac.at

   Department of Engineering, Centro Direzionale-Isola C4, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy

   Faculty of Mathematics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

2. Maarten Boudewijn Eppinga

   University of Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

   Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

3. Mara Baudena

   Utrecht University · National Research Council · Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental Sciences Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands

   Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), National Research Council of Italy, Corso Fiume 4, 10133, Torino, Italy

   Environmental Sciences Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

   Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), National Research Council of Italy, Torino, Italy

4. Frits Veerman Aachen Mathematical Institute

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Mathematical Institute, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 1, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Mathematical Institute, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

5. Max Rietkerk

   Utrecht University

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental Sciences Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands

   Environmental Sciences Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

6. Francesco Giannino

   University of Naples Federico II

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy

   Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy