InvaPlant - Feedbacks between plant invasion, microbial diversity and multiple ecosystems services

IInvasive plant species are often responsible for declines in biodiversity through species loss and changes in ecosystem properties. Plant soil - feedbacks are important mechanisms maintaining species diversity and abundance in terrestrial ecosystems. Similarly, the interactions between plant and soil communities are now considered to play key roles in plant invasion, although the mechanisms behind these interactions remain poorly understood. Two modes of action might be of relevance when plant invasion is discussed: competition for nutrients and the absence of phytopathogens that normally control plant abundance.