Plant diversity has been shown to determine the composition and functioning of soil biota.
Although root-derived organic inputs are discussed as the main drivers of soil communities,
experimental evidence is scarce. While there is some evidence that higher root biomass at
high plant diversity increases substrate availability for soil biota, several studies have
speculated that the quantity and diversity of root inputs into the soil, ie though root exudates,
drive plant diversity effects on soil biota. Here we used a microcosm experiment to study the …