Intraspecific genetic variation and species coexistence in plant communities

Biology Letters
Bodil K EhlersFabien Laroche

Abstract

Many studies report that intraspecific genetic variation in plants can affect community composition and coexistence. However, less is known about which traits are responsible and the mechanisms by which variation in these traits affect the associated community. Focusing on plant-plant interactions, we review empirical studies exemplifying how intraspecific genetic variation in functional traits impacts plant coexistence. Intraspecific variation in chemical and architectural traits promotes species coexistence, by both increasing habitat heterogeneity and altering competitive hierarchies. Decomposing species interactions into interactions between genotypes shows that genotype × genotype interactions are often intransitive. The outcome of plant-plant interactions varies with local adaptation to the environment and with dominant neighbour genotypes, and some plants can recognize the genetic identity of neighbour plants if they have a common history of coexistence. Taken together, this reveals a very dynamic nature of coexistence. We outline how more traits mediating plant-plant interactions may be identified, and how future studies could use population genetic surveys of genotype distribution in nature and methods from trait-based...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 1, 2018·The New Phytologist·Luke Browne, Jordan Karubian
May 8, 2018·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Kristian PetersNicole M van Dam
Oct 3, 2018·Ecology and Evolution·Kristian PetersSteffen Neumann
Mar 10, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jake M Alexander, Jonathan M Levine
May 10, 2021·Current Opinion in Plant Biology·Rémi PélissierJean-Benoit Morel
Jun 26, 2021·Microbial Biotechnology·Annabelle O YuMaria L Marco

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