Plant-soil interactions determine ecosystem aboveground and belowground processes in primary dune ecosystems

Abstract

Soil biodiversity is of great importance for the maintenance of multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the complexity of belowground biodiversity, novel insights about the combined influences of plant-soil interactions have been rarely empirically examined under realistic field conditions. To cope with this challenge, a soil inoculation approach in a field experiment was conducted to manipulate soil community composition. This thesis aims to shed light on the impacts of plant-soil interactions on the aboveground and belowground processes in primary dune ecosystems examined with the aid of such manipulation.