Fig. 2: Root exudates simultaneously increase C and N content in the rhizosphere clay size fraction and decrease C and N content in the rhizosphere silt size fraction.
From: Root exudates simultaneously form and disrupt soil organo-mineral associations
Difference between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil in a content of root-derived 13C content, b 12C, c total C, and d total N. Data are presented for the clay, silt, and combined silt + clay size fractions, and whole (non-fractionated) soils in maize microcosms grown under dry or moist moisture treatments. Box plots represent n = 6 independent biological replicates. Boxplot center line represents median, box limits the first and third quartiles, whiskers extend to the smallest and largest values no further than 1.5 × interquartile range (IQR). Symbols above the boxplot indicate statistical significance between the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere for each size fraction and moisture treatment combination (ns = p ≥ 0.05, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001). Statistical significance was tested using two-sided comparisons of estimated marginal means. A horizontal line beneath the symbols indicates no interactions with the moisture treatment.
