Review: Mechanisms of plant–soil feedback: interactions among biotic and abiotic drivers

We often think about how the soil environment influences plants, but two new papers focus on how plants influence the soil environment (through abiotic and biotic effects), in turn affecting other plants. These plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) can be negative (resource depletion, natural enemy accumulation) or positive (resource deposition, mutualist accumulation). Bennett et al. summarize these factors and their interactions and relative importance, as well as gaps in our understanding. New Phytol. 10.1111/nph.15603.  See also Fungal diversity regulates plant-soil feedbacks in temperate grassland, in which Semchenko et al. explore the interactions between different types of fungi (pathogenic, mycorrhizal, and saprotrophic) and plant functional traits. Key findings are that plants with finer roots and higher shoot N concentration show more negative effects from plant-soil feedbacks.  (Summary by Mary Williams) Sci Adv 10.1126/sciadv.aau4578