Soil nutrient availability and its implications for restoration projects and species interactions in phosphorus-impoverished plant communities

Soil phosphorus is crucial for plant species composition and interactions in severely nutrient-impoverished ecosystems, such as the Cerrado in Brazil and Kwongan in south-western Australia. This thesis presents evidence on how soil phosphorus enrichment threatens nutrient-impoverished native communities and favours non-native invasive species. Additionally, it highlights nutrient-use and -acquisition responses of native Cerrado species to previous land-use changes in restorations trials. Finally, it reveals root mechanisms underlying facilitative interactions between species of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies. Understanding species interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors in these ecosystems is crucial to predict community assembly and better plan restoration in these areas.