Metacommunity theory proposes that a collection of local communities are linked by dispersal and the resulting compositions are a product of both niche-based (species sorting) and spatial processes. Determining which of these factors is most important in different habitats can provide insight into the regulation of community assembly. To date, the metacommunity organization of heterotrophic soi...

Facilitation among plants mediated by grazers occurs when an unpalatable plant extends its protection against grazing to another plant. This type of indirect facilitation impacts species coexistence and ecosystem functioning in a large array of ecosystems worldwide. It has nonetheless generally been understudied so far in comparison with the role played by direct facilitation among plants. We a...

Disturbance is a major factor determining the plant community structure of ecological systems. In particular, small-scale disturbances from animals can increase heterogeneity and species diversity in plant communities. Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds are small-scale disturbances that support unique plant communities compared to surrounding habitats. The seed bank, which is usually a...

The distribution of plants along environmental gradients is constrained by abiotic and biotic factors. Cumulative evidence attests of the impact of biotic factors on plant distributions, but only few studies discuss the role of belowground communities. Soil fungi, in particular, are thought to play an important role in how plant species assemble locally into communities. We first review existin...

It is widely recognized that feedbacks exist between plant litter and plant community species composition, but this relationship is difficult to interpret over heterogeneous conditions typical of modified environments such as roadways. Given the need to expedite natural recovery of disturbed areas through restoration interventions, we characterized litter accumulation and nutrient content (i.e....

Plantesoil feedbacks are important to productivity and plant community dynamics in both natural and managed ecosystems. Among soil bacteria, the Streptomyces possess particularly strong antagonistic activities and inhibit diverse plant pathogens, offering a clear pathway to involvement in plantesoil feedbacks. We hypothesized that feedback effects and the ability of individual host plant specie...

Although hybridization in plants has been recognized as an important pathway in plant speciation, it may also affect the ecology and evolution of associated communities. Cottonwood species (Populus angustifolia and P. fremontii) and their naturally occurring hybrids are known to support different plant, animal, and microbial communities, but no studies have examined community structure within t...