Biotic legacies in afforestation
The process of afforestation leads to sudden changes in habitat conditions as transition from an open habitat culminates in a closed canopy landscape. Theory suggests that the development of forests after tree planting depends on the legacy effects of previous land use. A major open question is at which speed these legacy effects disappear, and how the development of forest microbial communities is impacted. In this talk, I will present our latest results showing how legacy effects from agriculture impact soil communities during forest development after afforestation.
