Mycorrhizal Identity and Light Shape Tree Seedling Biomass Responses in Plant–Soil Feedbacks

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A. Wood, Richard K. Kobe This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7483336/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Aims - Plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) are key drivers of forest composition and diversity, yet their direction and magnitude may depend on the mycorrhizal identity of interacting species, environmental conditions, and experimental context. Methods - We conducted complementary greenhouse and field experiments using Acer rubrum L., Acer saccharum Marsh., Prunus serotina Ehrh. (all arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM] species), and Quercus alba L., and Quercus rubra L. (all ectomycorrhizal [EM] species) to test how biomass-based PSFs vary with mycorrhizal matching between seedlings and adult trees, light availability, and soil microbial communities. Seedlings were grown in soil conditioned by conspecifics, conmycorrhizal heterospecifics, or heteromycorrhizal heterospecifics under controlled and natural light regimes. Results - Consistent with expectations, AM species generally exhibited negative PSFs and EM species positive PSFs, but this pattern was contingent on light and greenhouse versus field setting. For AM species, negative PSFs occurred primarily under low light and were neutralized or reversed under higher light. EM species showed more consistent positive PSFs across light levels and settings, although species-specific differences emerged. PSFs were driven largely by conspecific soil conditioning, with limited influence from the mycorrhizal identity of heterospecific neighbors. Results from greenhouse versus field settings diverged, with field PSFs sometimes attenuated or reversed, particularly for Q. alba. Conclusions - These findings highlight that biomass-based PSFs are not fixed species traits but context-dependent outcomes influenced by mycorrhizal type, light availability, and environmental setting. Incorporating these factors is essential for predicting how PSFs influence seedling recruitment, forest dynamics, and biodiversity. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ectomycorrhizal fungi forest dynamics light availability mycorrhizal associations plant-soil feedbacks Full Text Supplementary Files McCarthyNeumannetalPSFBiomassSIPlantandSoil.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 31 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 04 Sep, 2025 Editor invited by journal 02 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 02 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 28 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7483336","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":510109689,"identity":"c38c4d3d-b430-4b1f-b8f7-a739e2b2b1e7","order_by":0,"name":"Sarah McCarthy-Neumann","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA3klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDADfiS2AXFaJNuAxAGIaiK1GBwjVov87OZjUjdq7uQZ3+89/PlDzR85BvbmbRJ4Db9zLE0659izYrNjfGkSB44ZGDPwHCvDr0Uix0w6h+1w4rZjPGYMB9gMEhuAIni1yM/I/yad8+9w4uY2HuMPB/4Z1DfIv8GvheFGDpt0btvhxA1sPAYSB9sMEhgkePBrMbiRZmyd23c4ccYxoHvO9hkbtvGkFVvgd1jyw9s53w4n9jefMf5Q8U1Onp/98MYbeB2GAdhIUz4KRsEoGAWjABsAAAcFSNsmeW8QAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2700-8593","institution":"Tennessee State University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sarah","middleName":"","lastName":"McCarthy-Neumann","suffix":""},{"id":510109690,"identity":"1e1457c5-09a4-4668-9fd2-a708d86cbd60","order_by":1,"name":"Katherine E. 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(all arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM] species), and Quercus alba L., and Quercus rubra L. (all ectomycorrhizal [EM] species) to test how biomass-based PSFs vary with mycorrhizal matching between seedlings and adult trees, light availability, and soil microbial communities. Seedlings were grown in soil conditioned by conspecifics, conmycorrhizal heterospecifics, or heteromycorrhizal heterospecifics under controlled and natural light regimes.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e - Consistent with expectations, AM species generally exhibited negative PSFs and EM species positive PSFs, but this pattern was contingent on light and greenhouse versus field setting. For AM species, negative PSFs occurred primarily under low light and were neutralized or reversed under higher light. EM species showed more consistent positive PSFs across light levels and settings, although species-specific differences emerged. PSFs were driven largely by conspecific soil conditioning, with limited influence from the mycorrhizal identity of heterospecific neighbors. Results from greenhouse versus field settings diverged, with field PSFs sometimes attenuated or reversed, particularly for Q. alba.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions\u003c/strong\u003e - These findings highlight that biomass-based PSFs are not fixed species traits but context-dependent outcomes influenced by mycorrhizal type, light availability, and environmental setting. Incorporating these factors is essential for predicting how PSFs influence seedling recruitment, forest dynamics, and biodiversity.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Mycorrhizal Identity and Light Shape Tree Seedling Biomass Responses in Plant–Soil Feedbacks","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-10 08:19:53","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7483336/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revisions","date":"2025-11-01T01:57:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-09-05T02:10:14+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-04T08:32:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2025-09-03T01:12:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-02T09:01:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2025-08-28T17:32:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ed7c4550-581c-4f6e-847d-49fc5ea5b5fc","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 10th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-09T16:05:46+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7483336","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08279-z","journal":{"identity":"plant-and-soil","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Plant and Soil"},"publishedOn":"2026-02-02 15:58:19","publishedOnDateReadable":"February 2nd, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-10 08:19:53","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11104-026-08279-z","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-08279-z","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7483336","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7483336","identity":"rs-7483336","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}