Colloquium: Franciska de Vries

Root-microbe interactions are central to ecosystem functioning and its response to changing environmental conditions, both in natural and in managed ecosystems. Different plant species with different root systems are associated with specific soil bacterial and fungal communities, which drive soil functioning and can feed back to plant growth and community composition. Many of the interactions between roots and soil microbes are modified by root exudates, which are a crucial belowground C input and a precursor for the formation of stable soil organic matter, but can also lead to increased decomposition of soil organic matter. In this talk, I will use a range of experiments, from field studies to controlled experiments with individual plant species, to show how plants and their root systems respond to drought, and how these changes subsequently affect soil microbial communities and their functioning. I will discuss the implications of these changes for ecosystem functioning under climate change, focussing on carbon cycling and plant growth and community composition, in managed and natural ecosystems.