The forces that maintain genetic diversity among individuals and species are usually studied separately. Nevertheless, at one of these levels may depend on the other. We have combined observations natural populations, quantitative genetics, field experiments to show variation in concentration an allelopathic secondary compound Brassica nigra is necessary for coexistence B. its competitor species. In addition, competing was required maintenance trait within nigra. Thus, conservation also...

Invasive species can quickly transform biological communities due to their high abundance and strong impacts on native species, in part because they be released from the ecological forces that limit populations. However, little is known about long-term dynamics of invasions; do invaders maintain dominant status over long time spans, or new evolutionary eventually develop populations? Alliaria petiolata a Eurasian aggressively invades North American forest understories, production toxic...

Climate change is pushing species outside of their evolved tolerances. Plant populations must acclimate, adapt, or migrate to avoid extinction. However, because plants associate with diverse microbial communities that shape phenotypes, shifts in associations may provide an alternative source climate tolerance. Here, we show tree seedlings inoculated sourced from drier, warmer, colder sites displayed higher survival when faced drought, heat, cold stress, respectively. Microbially mediated...

• Plant defense traits often show high levels of genetic variation, despite clear impacts on plant fitness. This variation may be partly maintained by trade-offs in the against multiple herbivore species, for example between generalists and coevolved specialists. Despite a long-standing discussion literature subject, no study to date has specifically manipulated specialist generalist herbivores independently one another determine whether two guilds exert opposing selection pressures specific...

Although reciprocal evolutionary responses between interacting species are a driving force behind the diversity of life, pairwise coevolution plant competitors has received less attention than other interactions and been considered relatively important in explaining ecological patterns. However, success transported across biogeographic boundaries suggests stronger role for relationships shaping interactions. Alliaria petiolata is Eurasian that invaded North American forest understories,...

Understanding the forces that allow multiple species to coexist remains a central focus of community ecology. Building evidence evolutionary changes frequently occur on timescales relevant for ecological dynamics suggests complete understanding maintenance diversity is likely require incorporation dynamics. Coexistence mechanisms can be classified into two groups basis whether they reduce inherent differences in performance (equalizing effects) or buffer against extinction by providing...

Plants interact with many different species throughout their life cycle. Recent work has shown that the ecological effects of multispecies interactions are often not predictable from studies component pairwise interactions. Little is known about how affect evolution ecologically important traits. We tested direct and interactive inter- intraspecific competition, as well two abundant herbivore (a generalist folivore a specialist aphid), on selective value defensive chemical compound in...

• Invaders can gain ecological advantages because of their evolutionary novelty, but little is known about how these novel will change over time as the invader and invaded community evolve in response to each other. Invasive plants often such an advantage through alteration soil microbial communities. In communities sampled from sites along a gradient invasion history with Alliaria petiolata, richness tended decline, community’s resistance A. petiolata’s effects generally increased...

Summary 1. Plant communities are generally thought to follow strict competitive hierarchies, in which species can be linearly ordered according their ability compete for a few limiting resources. Such hierarchies should lead reduced diversity, since the single best competitor will eventually exclude other species. However, more complex dynamics may emerge if different plant or genotypes ways, such as through release of toxic allelochemicals alteration soil microbial communities. 2. Brassica...

Abstract As policymakers and managers work to mitigate the effects of rapid anthropogenic environmental changes, they need consider organisms’ responses. In light recent evidence that evolution can be quite rapid, this now includes evolutionary Evolutionary principles have a long history in conservation biology, necessary next step for field is ways which policy makers proactively manipulate processes achieve their goals. review, we aim illustrate potential benefits an increased...

Summary Organic matter decomposition is the main process by which carbon (C) lost from terrestrial ecosystems, and mycorrhizal associations of plants (i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizas ( AM ) ectomycorrhizas ECM )) may have different indirect effects on this loss pathway. differ in soil decomposers they promote quality litter produce, result patterns organic decomposition, hence, C loss. To determine how indirectly affect decomposer activity, we collected soils litters four tree species a...

Abstract The distribution of mycorrhizal associations across biomes parallels a distinct gradient soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks, raising the question how traits relate to ecosystem properties. Arbuscular ( AM ) ectomycorrhizal EM hosts fungi employ contrasting strategies for N acquisition, which may manifest in differences C pools and/or C:N. However, cross‐biome comparisons are confounded with climatic edaphic gradients as well phylogenetic functional trait distributions component...

Abstract As global change shifts the species composition of forests, we need to understand which characteristics affect soil organic matter (SOM) cycling predict future carbon (C) storage. Recently, whether a tree forms symbiosis with arbuscular (AM) versus ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi has been suggested as strong predictor C storage, but there is wide variability within EcM systems. In this study, investigated how mycorrhizal associations and canopy trees related proportion nitrogen (N) in...

1 Plant defence theory predicts that chemical defences should be optimally deployed to protect against herbivore damage, but avoid production costs when herbivores are rare. However, many chemicals involved in also other interactions, such as competition. 2 We studied how the accumulation of sinigrin, dominant glucosinolate metabolite Brassica nigra, responded field manipulations herbivory and competition groups artificially selected for high or low constitutive sinigrin levels....

Rapid post-introduction evolution has been found in many invasive plant species, and includes changes defence (resistance tolerance) competitive ability traits. Here, we explored the of a trade-off between resistance to tolerance herbivory, which received little attention. In common garden experiment native range, nine 16 populations Brassica nigra were compared for growth Invasive had higher to, but lower of, herbivore damage than populations. survived better produced more seeds ones when...

Environmental management typically seeks to increase or maintain the population sizes of desirable species and decrease undesirable pests, pathogens, invaders. With changes in size come long-recognized ecological processes that act a density-dependent fashion. While effects density dependence have been well studied, evolutionary size, via interactions with community members, are underappreciated. Here, we provide examples changing selective pressures on, evolution in, as result either...

As climates shift in space, tree species ranges are predicted to as well. While range shifts due climate change have been typically modeled based on abiotic factors alone, interactions among diverse communities may alter these dynamics by inhibiting or enhancing the establishment of propagules along leading edge, increasing decreasing tolerance novel at trailing edge. Here, we investigated how rate expansion margins, and contraction margins temperate response both past current related an...

'… integrating phosphorus (P) into existing paradigms of mycorrhizal symbioses in both P-limited and P-sufficient systems may further illuminate mechanisms by which fungi either determine or respond to ecosystem properties.' Within the last 5 years, there have been a number key studies expanding upon Read's ideas, deepening our conceptual understanding ecosystem-level consequences fungi. In cross-biome analysis, Averill et al. (2014) reported that soil carbon (C) per unit nitrogen (N) is...

Abstract. 1. Introduced plants generally have lower generalist herbivore loads than native plants. Herbivores may be avoiding a potentially edible food source (Behavioural Constraint Hypothesis) or defences of introduced unusually toxic (Novel Defence Hypothesis). 2. To examine these hypotheses, acridid grasshoppers ( Melanoplus angustipennis and Orphullela pelidna ) were enclosed in Texas grassland. Each enclosure contained prairie vegetation seedling either Sapium sebiferum (Chinese tallow...

The importance of non‐resource‐based mechanisms competition between plant species has been increasingly recognized, but little is known about how genetic variation and evolutionary changes in the underlying competitive traits might affect coexistence. I found that sinigrin concentration, a putative allelopathic agent Brassica nigra , affected fitness three heterospecific neighbor did not neighboring B. individuals. Investment led to negative correlation intra‐ interspecific ability, which...

How multiple species coexist in the face of limiting resources remains one central questions ecology. Recent theoretical and empirical studies have documented importance evolutionary forces coexistence. However, there a disconnect between these two approaches, as are generally too short to explore long‐term coexistence rarely specific enough allow for meaningful comparisons with natural systems. Here I combine field data simulation modeling test how genetic trade‐off intra‐ interspecific...

Abstract Plant range boundaries are generally considered to reflect abiotic conditions; however, a rise in negative or decline positive species interactions at margins may contribute these stable boundaries. While evidence suggests that pollinator mutualisms near boundaries, little is known about other important plant mutualisms, including microbial root symbionts. Here, we used molecular methods characterize root‐associated fungal communities populations of two related temperate tree from...