Enhanced below‐ground functioning is associated with higher plant resistance against drought: Implications for ecosystem functions
Alberto Canarini·B. Drigo·Yolima Carrillo·Hirokazu Toju·Ian C. Anderson·Sally A. Power·Erica Donner·Feike A. Dijkstra·Raúl Ochoa‐Hueso·Andreas Richter·Sotirios Vasileiadis·Pierre Mariotte·Jeremy Bougoure
Abstract Recent evidence highlights the importance of low‐abundant subordinate plant species in regulating ecosystem functions in grasslands experiencing drought via plant–microbe interactions. We hypothesized that subordinate and dominant species have distinct carbon (C) allocation and nitrogen (N) uptake patterns affecting soil microbes and their functions during a drought event. We collected soil cores with individuals of Paspalum dilatatum (dominant) or Cynodon dactylon (subordinate) from tw