Abstract
Studies of whether plant community structure and ecosystem properties depend on the genetic diversity of component populations have been largely restricted to species monocultures and have involved levels of genetic differentiation that do not necessarily correspond to that exhibited by neighboring mature individuals in the field. We established experimental communities of varying intraspecific genetic diversity, using genotypes of eight species propagated from clonal material of individuals derived from a small (100-m2) limestone grassland community, and tested whether genetic diversity (one, four, and eight genotypes per species) influenced community composition and annual aboveground productivity across communities of one, four, and eight species. Eight-species communities were represented by common grass, sedge, and forb species, and four- and one-species communities were represented by four graminoids and the dominant grass Festuca ovina, respectively. After three years of community development, there was a marginal increase of species diversity with increased genetic diversity in four- and eight-species communities, and genetic diversity altered the performance of genotypes in monospecific communities of F. ovina. However, shifts in composition from genetic diversity were not sufficient to alter patterns of community productivity. Neighborhood models describing pairwise interactions between species indicated that genetic diversity decreased the intensity of competition between species in four-species mixtures, thereby promoting competitive equivalency and enhancing species equitability. In F. ovina monocultures, neighborhood models revealed both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between genotypes that were reduced in intensity on more stressful shallow soils. Although the dependence of F. ovina genotype performance on neighborhood genetic composition did not influence total productivity, such dependence was sufficient to uncouple genotype performance in genetic mixtures and monocultures. Our results point to an important connection between local genetic diversity and species diversity in this species-rich ecosystem but suggest that such community-level dependence on genetic diversity may not feedback to ecosystem productivity.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Higher genetic diversity marginally increased species diversity in four- and eight-species communities.
Verbatim
e0“there was a marginal increase of species diversity with increased genetic diversity in four- and eight-species communities”
t0“grassland microcosms”
Claim · model-written summary
Genetic diversity altered genotype performance in Festuca ovina monocultures.
- Taxon
- F. ovina
Festuca ovinae0 - Material
- F. ovinae0
- Outcome
- performance of genotypese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“genetic diversity altered the performance of genotypes in monospecific communities of F. ovina”
Claim · model-written summary
Composition shifts from genetic diversity did not alter community productivity patterns.
Verbatim
e0“shifts in composition from genetic diversity were not sufficient to alter patterns of community productivity”
t0“grassland microcosms”
Claim · model-written summary
Genetic diversity decreased interspecific competition in four-species mixtures.
Verbatim
e0“genetic diversity decreased the intensity of competition between species in four-species mixtures”
t0“grassland microcosms”
Claim · model-written summary
Genetic diversity promoted competitive equivalency and species equitability in four-species mixtures.
Verbatim
e0“thereby promoting competitive equivalency and enhancing species equitability”
t0“grassland microcosms”
Claim · model-written summary
Festuca ovina genotypes had synergistic and antagonistic interactions in monocultures.
- Taxon
- F. ovinaFestuca ovinae0
- Outcome
- synergistic and antagonistic interactions between genotypese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In F. ovina monocultures, neighborhood models revealed both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Interactions among Festuca ovina genotypes weakened on shallow soils.
- Taxon
- F. ovinaFestuca ovinae1
- Outcome
- interactions between genotypese0
- Direction
- reduced in intensitye0
- Setting
- more stressful shallow soilse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“interactions between genotypes that were reduced in intensity on more stressful shallow soils”
e1“genetic diversity altered the performance of genotypes in monospecific communities of F. ovina”
Claim · model-written summary
Neighbor genetic composition affected Festuca ovina genotype performance without affecting total productivity.
- Taxon
- F. ovinaFestuca ovinae0
- Material
- F. ovinae0
- Outcome
- total productivitye0
- Direction
- did not influencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Although the dependence of F. ovina genotype performance on neighborhood genetic composition did not influence total productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Neighborhood composition uncoupled Festuca ovina genotype performance between mixtures and monocultures.
- Taxon
- F. ovinaFestuca ovinae1
- Outcome
- genotype performancee0
- Direction
- uncouplee0
- Comparator
- genetic mixtures and monoculturese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“such dependence was sufficient to uncouple genotype performance in genetic mixtures and monocultures”
e1“genetic diversity altered the performance of genotypes in monospecific communities of F. ovina”