Cover crop functional trait plasticity in response to soil conditions and interspecific interactions

IF 3.9 2区 农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY
Etienne Sutton, Sieglinde Snapp, Vicki Morrone, Jennifer Blesh
{"title":"Cover crop functional trait plasticity in response to soil conditions and interspecific interactions","authors":"Etienne Sutton, Sieglinde Snapp, Vicki Morrone, Jennifer Blesh","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07471-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Cover crops support ecosystem services in agroecosystems, but their performance can be highly variable. Functional trait ecology provides a useful framework for understanding variation in cover crop performance across different growing conditions. However, trait variation within species remains understudied compared to variation between species.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>In a two-year experiment, we measured nine functional traits for three cover crop species across 13 fields on working farms that spanned a gradient of soil health. Each field contained three cover crop treatments: a functionally diverse mixture of cereal rye (<i>Secale cereale</i>), crimson clover (<i>Trifolium incarnatum</i>), and dwarf-essex rapeseed (<i>Brassica napus</i>), and rye and clover monocrops. We evaluated i) the magnitude and relative importance of intraspecific and interspecific trait variation; ii) which soil health indicators best explained trait variation; and iii) whether interspecific interactions in mixture induced trait plasticity.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Despite strong trait contrasts between species, intraspecific trait variation comprised 50% of total trait variation, on average. Trait variation was best explained by particulate organic matter nitrogen (POM N), soil phosphorus, pH, and permanganate oxidizable carbon for clover; by POM N and soil phosphorus for rye; and by POM N for dwarf essex. Rye and clover also showed significant trait plasticity in mixture relative to monocrop treatments.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Our study demonstrates that intraspecific and interspecific trait variation are equally important, and that examining trait variation within species can improve the ability to predict cover crop outcomes. This information can inform cropping system design in distinct contexts to promote success of component species and complementary ecosystem functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Plant and Soil","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07471-x","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and aims

Cover crops support ecosystem services in agroecosystems, but their performance can be highly variable. Functional trait ecology provides a useful framework for understanding variation in cover crop performance across different growing conditions. However, trait variation within species remains understudied compared to variation between species.

Methods

In a two-year experiment, we measured nine functional traits for three cover crop species across 13 fields on working farms that spanned a gradient of soil health. Each field contained three cover crop treatments: a functionally diverse mixture of cereal rye (Secale cereale), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and dwarf-essex rapeseed (Brassica napus), and rye and clover monocrops. We evaluated i) the magnitude and relative importance of intraspecific and interspecific trait variation; ii) which soil health indicators best explained trait variation; and iii) whether interspecific interactions in mixture induced trait plasticity.

Results

Despite strong trait contrasts between species, intraspecific trait variation comprised 50% of total trait variation, on average. Trait variation was best explained by particulate organic matter nitrogen (POM N), soil phosphorus, pH, and permanganate oxidizable carbon for clover; by POM N and soil phosphorus for rye; and by POM N for dwarf essex. Rye and clover also showed significant trait plasticity in mixture relative to monocrop treatments.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that intraspecific and interspecific trait variation are equally important, and that examining trait variation within species can improve the ability to predict cover crop outcomes. This information can inform cropping system design in distinct contexts to promote success of component species and complementary ecosystem functions.

覆盖作物功能性状可塑性对土壤条件和种间相互作用的响应
背景和目的禾本科作物在农业生态系统中支持生态系统服务,但它们的表现可能变化很大。功能性状生态学为理解不同生长条件下覆盖作物生产性能的变化提供了一个有用的框架。然而,与物种间的变异相比,物种内的性状变异仍未得到充分研究。方法在一项为期两年的实验中,我们测量了13块农田中3种覆盖作物的9个功能性状,这些农田跨越了土壤健康梯度。每个地块包含三种覆盖作物处理:一种功能多样化的谷物黑麦(Secale cereale)、深红色三叶草(Trifolium incarnatum)和矮埃塞克斯油菜籽(Brassica napus)的混合物,以及黑麦和三叶草的单一作物。我们评估了i)种内和种间性状变异的大小和相对重要性;Ii)哪些土壤健康指标最能解释性状变异;iii)混合种间相互作用是否诱导性状可塑性。结果尽管种间性状差异较大,但种内性状变异平均占总性状变异的50%。三叶草的性状变异最能解释为颗粒有机质氮(POM N)、土壤磷、pH和高锰酸盐可氧化碳;对黑麦施用POM N和土壤磷;POM N代表矮艾塞克斯。黑麦和三叶草混合处理也表现出显著的性状可塑性。结论种内性状变异与种间性状变异同等重要,研究种内性状变异可以提高预测覆盖作物产量的能力。这些信息可以为不同环境下的种植制度设计提供信息,以促进组成物种和互补生态系统功能的成功。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Plant and Soil
Plant and Soil 农林科学-农艺学
CiteScore
8.20
自引率
8.20%
发文量
543
审稿时长
2.5 months
期刊介绍: Plant and Soil publishes original papers and review articles exploring the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and that enhance our mechanistic understanding of plant-soil interactions. We focus on the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and seek those manuscripts with a strong mechanistic component which develop and test hypotheses aimed at understanding underlying mechanisms of plant-soil interactions. Manuscripts can include both fundamental and applied aspects of mineral nutrition, plant water relations, symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions, root anatomy and morphology, soil biology, ecology, agrochemistry and agrophysics, as long as they are hypothesis-driven and enhance our mechanistic understanding. Articles including a major molecular or modelling component also fall within the scope of the journal. All contributions appear in the English language, with consistent spelling, using either American or British English.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信