Rapid responses of soil microorganisms improve plant fitness in novel environments

Global change is challenging plant and animal populations with novel environmental conditions, including increased atmospheric CO(2) concentrations, warmer temperatures, and altered precipitation regimes. In some cases, contemporary or "rapid" evolution can ameliorate the effects of global change. However, the direction and magnitude of evolutionary responses may be contingent upon interactions with other community members that also are experiencing novel environmental conditions. Here, we examine plant adaptation to drought stress in a multigeneration experiment that manipulated aboveground-belowground feedbacks between plants and soil microbial communities. Although drought stress reduced plant growth and…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Awards: 67019, 2011-67019-30225
• NI
  National Institute of Food and Agriculture