Annual plant community assembly in edaphically heterogeneous environments

摘要

QuestionsDoes edaphic heterogeneity (i.e. switches between gypsum and calcareous soils) affect annual plant community assembly in highly restrictive soils? Our main hypothesis is that soil filtering is the main determinant of species assembly, subsequently modulated by climate and lastly by biotic interactions, such as Stipa tenacissima and the biological soil crust (BSC) at fine spatial scales. Our study system is highly suitable to test the importance of edaphic heterogeneity to the assembly of annual plant communities, since calcareous and gypsum soils are in close contact and freely receive propagules.