Soil microbes support grassland plant acclimatisation to persistent weather
Climate change is leading to more persistent precipitation patterns in Northern Europe, characterized by prolonged dry and wet periods. Plants and plant communities can acclimatize to these conditions, thereby reducing their negative impacts. In a new study, Chase Donnelly and colleagues tested the hypothesis that adaptations within the soil microbiome contribute to plant acclimatization. To do so, they used soils from grasslands experimentally exposed to a highly regular rainfall regime (every two days) and compared them with soils subjected to 30-day alternating wet and dry periods.
The persistent precipitation treatment altered soil fungal communities, which in turn influenced plant responses, with two out of four plant species showing clear stress-related adaptations. By integrating information on gene expression (“transcription”) with changes in plant form (“physiology”) and chemical composition (“biochemistry”), the study demonstrates that exposure to adapted soils activated common response mechanisms across the four grassland plant species. These mechanisms included internal signaling pathways and stress hormones, leading to tissue strengthening and enhanced resilience.
Overall, the results highlight the importance of soil microbial legacy in enabling grassland plants to better cope with future changes in precipitation patterns.
