Predators in the plant-soil feedback loop: aboveground plant-associated predators may alter the outcome of plant-soil interactions

Plant-soil feedback (PSF) can structure plant communities, promoting coexistence (negative PSF) or monodominance (positive PSF). At higher trophic levels, predators can alter plant community structure by re-allocating resources within habitats. When predator and plant species are spatially associated, predators may alter the outcome of PSF. Here, I explore the influence of plant-associated predators on PSF using a generalized cellular automaton model that tracks nutrients, plants, herbivores, and predators. I explore key contingencies in plant-predator associations such as whether predators associate with live vs. senesced vegetation. Results indicate that plant-associated predators shift PSF to favor the host plant when predators colonize live vegetation, but the outcome of PSF will depend upon plant dispersal distance when predators colonize dead vegetation. I apply the model to two spider-associated invasive plants, finding that spider predators should shift PSF dynamics in a way th...植物-土壤反馈（Plant-soil feedback, PSF）可调控植物群落结构：负向植物-土壤反馈能够促进物种共存，正向植物-土壤反馈则会导致单优群落形成。在更高营养级中，捕食者可通过在生境内重新分配资源来改变植物群落结构。当捕食者与植物物种存在空间关联时，捕食者可能会改变植物-土壤反馈的最终结果。本研究采用可追踪养分、植物、植食动物与捕食者的广义元胞自动机模型（cellular automaton model），探究植物伴生捕食者对植物-土壤反馈的影响。本研究探讨了植物-捕食者关联中的关键情境因素，例如捕食者是否与活植株或衰老植被形成关联。研究结果显示，当捕食者定植于活植株时，植物伴生捕食者会使植物-土壤反馈偏向于宿主植物；而当捕食者定植于枯亡植被时，植物-土壤反馈的结果则取决于植物的扩散距离。本研究将该模型应用于两类伴生蜘蛛的入侵植物，发现蜘蛛捕食者应当以……的方式改变植物-土壤反馈动态……