The plant ecology of soil nutrient supply from species to ecosystems
2022-01
Title
The plant ecology of soil nutrient supply from species to ecosystems
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2022-01
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Abstract
The supply of soil nutrients is a fundamental process structuring plant communities and the functioning of ecosystems. As such, the manipulation of soil nutrients has been a key tool for the ecologist to understand which nutrients are important in a given ecosystem and how soil nutrients impact plant community composition. The experimental creation of a soil nutrient gradient informs how plants are differentiated in their competitive ability. However, plants do not only passively respond to soil nutrient gradients, but also themselves modify soil nutrient supply. Exposition of the plant ecology of soil nutrient supply therefore requires a dual approach that considers experimental manipulation of both soil nutrients and species composition. In this dissertation, I use two long term experiments to explore the ecology of soil nutrient supply. I leverage two core experimental designs available in plant ecology through: (1) the addition of limiting soil nutrients as fertilizer to an existing plant community and (2) the manipulation of plant community composition through seeded permanent plots and composition control through manual removal.
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University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. January 2022. Major: Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. Advisor: David Tilman. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 154 pages + 6 supplementary media files.
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Furey, George. (2022). The plant ecology of soil nutrient supply from species to ecosystems. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/262010.
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