Integration of plant–soil feedbacks with resilience theory for climate change

Jennifer A. Rudgers; Catherine A. Gehring; D. Lee Taylor; M. Dylan Taylor; Y. Anny Chung

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001

Integration of plant–soil feedbacks with resilience theory for climate change

Jennifer A. Rudgers, Catherine A. Gehring, D. Lee Taylor, M. Dylan Taylor, Y. Anny Chung

Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

The resilience of ecosystems to climate disruption requires internal feedbacks that support the stability of ecosystem structure and function. Such feedbacks may include sustained interactions between plants and soil [plant–soil feedback (PSF)]. Theoretically, PSF could either boost or degrade ecosystem resilience. Three criteria must be met to attribute resilience to PSF: (i) The presence or amount of PSF must be manipulated; (ii) the ecosystem must face climate disruption after PSF is manipulated; and (iii) PSF must alter the resistance or recovery of ecosystem structure or function to disruption. Several case studies suggest that PSF may support (or degrade) resilience, but no study has yet met all criteria. Doing so could yield novel insights into how aboveground–belowground interactions shape ecosystem resilience to climate change.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Trends in Ecology and Evolution
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001
State	Accepted/In press - 2025

Keywords

bacteria
endophyte
fungi
microbiome
mycorrhiza
state transition

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001

Cite this

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title = "Integration of plant–soil feedbacks with resilience theory for climate change",

abstract = "The resilience of ecosystems to climate disruption requires internal feedbacks that support the stability of ecosystem structure and function. Such feedbacks may include sustained interactions between plants and soil [plant–soil feedback (PSF)]. Theoretically, PSF could either boost or degrade ecosystem resilience. Three criteria must be met to attribute resilience to PSF: (i) The presence or amount of PSF must be manipulated; (ii) the ecosystem must face climate disruption after PSF is manipulated; and (iii) PSF must alter the resistance or recovery of ecosystem structure or function to disruption. Several case studies suggest that PSF may support (or degrade) resilience, but no study has yet met all criteria. Doing so could yield novel insights into how aboveground–belowground interactions shape ecosystem resilience to climate change.",

keywords = "bacteria, endophyte, fungi, microbiome, mycorrhiza, state transition",

author = "Rudgers, {Jennifer A.} and Gehring, {Catherine A.} and Taylor, {D. Lee} and Taylor, {M. Dylan} and Chung, {Y. Anny}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Trends in Ecology and Evolution",

issn = "0169-5347",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Integration of plant–soil feedbacks with resilience theory for climate change

AU - Rudgers, Jennifer A.

AU - Gehring, Catherine A.

AU - Taylor, D. Lee

AU - Taylor, M. Dylan

AU - Chung, Y. Anny

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The resilience of ecosystems to climate disruption requires internal feedbacks that support the stability of ecosystem structure and function. Such feedbacks may include sustained interactions between plants and soil [plant–soil feedback (PSF)]. Theoretically, PSF could either boost or degrade ecosystem resilience. Three criteria must be met to attribute resilience to PSF: (i) The presence or amount of PSF must be manipulated; (ii) the ecosystem must face climate disruption after PSF is manipulated; and (iii) PSF must alter the resistance or recovery of ecosystem structure or function to disruption. Several case studies suggest that PSF may support (or degrade) resilience, but no study has yet met all criteria. Doing so could yield novel insights into how aboveground–belowground interactions shape ecosystem resilience to climate change.

AB - The resilience of ecosystems to climate disruption requires internal feedbacks that support the stability of ecosystem structure and function. Such feedbacks may include sustained interactions between plants and soil [plant–soil feedback (PSF)]. Theoretically, PSF could either boost or degrade ecosystem resilience. Three criteria must be met to attribute resilience to PSF: (i) The presence or amount of PSF must be manipulated; (ii) the ecosystem must face climate disruption after PSF is manipulated; and (iii) PSF must alter the resistance or recovery of ecosystem structure or function to disruption. Several case studies suggest that PSF may support (or degrade) resilience, but no study has yet met all criteria. Doing so could yield novel insights into how aboveground–belowground interactions shape ecosystem resilience to climate change.

KW - bacteria

KW - endophyte

KW - fungi

KW - microbiome

KW - mycorrhiza

KW - state transition

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U2 - 10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001

DO - 10.1016/j.tree.2025.05.001

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:105008037700

SN - 0169-5347

JO - Trends in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Trends in Ecology and Evolution

ER -

Integration of plant–soil feedbacks with resilience theory for climate change

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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