Data from: Exploring soil ecology gradient concepts: Sensitivity of ecosystem properties to symbiotic fungi in semiarid prairie

Dataset that accompanies a research paper entitled, "Exploring soil ecology gradient concepts: Sensitivity of ecosystem properties to symbiotic fungi in semiarid prairie" to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. Journal information will be updated when paper is published. Files include a readme file, datasets, and the respective R script for analyzing the individual data files.

Results are relevant to arid and semiarid mixed-grass prairie ecosystems with calcareous and alkaline subsoils, especially sites with soils of Eapa loam soil series, frigid Aridic Argiustolls or Mollisols. The focal system was of northern mixed-grass prairie vegetation near Miles City, Montana which is in eastern Montana, USA (46.304583, -105.978050, elevation 849 m).

The study consisted of a five year field experiment and two complementary pot bioassays. The experiments were designed to improve understanding effects of mycorrhizal fungi on plant properties, soil structure, and soil hydrologic functioning. We performed experiments and evaluated evidence of AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) effects on plants, plant-plant interactions, plant nutrient limitation, and nutrient acquisition strategy. First, we tested how AMF suppression affected plant biomass and composition; indicators of plant nutrient limitation (i.e. shoot nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio, N:P) and P acquisition (i.e. shoot manganese concentration, [Mn]); and structure and function of soil with a five-year field experiment. This informed pot bioassays. Pot bioassays tested how dominant grass coexistence was affected by three pairs of soil treatments 1) field soil inoculant (FSI) versus FSI with AMF suppression, 2) FSI versus sterilized FSI, and 3) AMF inoculant versus sterilized AMF inoculant.