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Isdaner AJ, Levis NA, Ehrenreich IM, Pfennig DW. Genetic Variants Underlying Plasticity in Natural Populations of Spadefoot Toads: Environmental Assessment versus Phenotypic Response. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:611. [PMID: 38790242 PMCID: PMC11121243 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Many organisms facultatively produce different phenotypes depending on their environment, yet relatively little is known about the genetic bases of such plasticity in natural populations. In this study, we describe the genetic variation underlying an extreme form of plasticity--resource polyphenism--in Mexican spadefoot toad tadpoles, Spea multiplicata. Depending on their environment, these tadpoles develop into one of two drastically different forms: a carnivore morph or an omnivore morph. We collected both morphs from two ponds that differed in which morph had an adaptive advantage and performed genome-wide association studies of phenotype (carnivore vs. omnivore) and adaptive plasticity (adaptive vs. maladaptive environmental assessment). We identified four quantitative trait loci associated with phenotype and nine with adaptive plasticity, two of which exhibited signatures of minor allele dominance and two of which (one phenotype locus and one adaptive plasticity locus) did not occur as minor allele homozygotes. Investigations into the genetics of plastic traits in natural populations promise to provide novel insights into how such complex, adaptive traits arise and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Isdaner
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (A.J.I.); (N.A.L.)
| | - Nicholas A. Levis
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (A.J.I.); (N.A.L.)
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Ian M. Ehrenreich
- Molecular and Computational Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
| | - David W. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (A.J.I.); (N.A.L.)
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Yang J, Wang X, Carmona CP, Wang X, Shen G. Inverse relationship between species competitiveness and intraspecific trait variability may enable species coexistence in experimental seedling communities. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2895. [PMID: 38570481 PMCID: PMC10991546 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47295-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Theory suggests that intraspecific trait variability may promote species coexistence when competitively inferior species have higher intraspecific trait variability than their superior competitors. Here, we provide empirical evidence for this phenomenon in tree seedlings. We evaluated intraspecific variability and plastic response of ten traits in 6750 seedlings of ten species in a three-year greenhouse experiment. While we observed no relationship between intraspecific trait variability and species competitiveness in competition-free homogeneous environments, an inverse relationship emerged under interspecific competition and in spatially heterogeneous environments. We showed that this relationship is driven by the plastic response of the competitively inferior species: Compared to their competitively superior counterparts, they exhibited a greater increase in trait variability, particularly in fine-root traits, in response to competition, environmental heterogeneity and their combination. Our findings contribute to understanding how interspecific competition and intraspecific trait variability together structure plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xiya Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Carlos P Carmona
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Xihua Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1515 North Zhongshan Rd. (No.2), Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Guochun Shen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1515 North Zhongshan Rd. (No.2), Shanghai, 200092, China.
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Jin N, Yu X, Dong J, Duan M, Mo Y, Feng L, Bai R, Zhao J, Song J, Dossa GGO, Lu H. Vertical variation in leaf functional traits of Parashorea chinensis with different canopy layers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1335524. [PMID: 38348271 PMCID: PMC10859428 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1335524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Canopy species need to shift their ecological adaptation to improve light and water resources utilization, and the study of intraspecific variations in plant leaf functional traits based at individual scale is of great significance for evaluating plant adaptability to climate change. Methods In this study, we evaluate how leaf functional traits of giant trees relate to spatial niche specialization along a vertical gradient. We sampled the tropical flagship species of Parashorea chinensis around 60 meters tall and divided their crowns into three vertical layers. Fourteen key leaf functional traits including leaf morphology, photosynthetic, hydraulic and chemical physiology were measured at each canopy layer to investigate the intraspecific variation of leaf traits and the interrelationships between different functional traits. Additionally, due to the potential impact of different measurement methods (in-situ and ex-situ branch) on photosynthetic physiological parameters, we also compared the effects of these two gas exchange measurements. Results and discussion In-situ measurements revealed that most leaf functional traits of individual-to-individual P. chinensis varied significantly at different canopy heights. Leaf hydraulic traits such as midday leaf water potential (MWP) and leaf osmotic potential (OP) were insignificantly correlated with leaf photosynthetic physiological traits such as maximal net assimilation rate per mass (A mass). In addition, great discrepancies were found between in-situ and ex-situ measurements of photosynthetic parameters. The ex-situ measurements caused a decrease by 53.63%, 27.86%, and 38.05% in A mass, and a decrease of 50.00%, 19.21%, and 27.90% in light saturation point compared to the in-situ measurements. These findings provided insights into our understanding of the response mechanisms of P. chinensis to micro-habitat in Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rainforests and the fine scale adaption of different resultant of decoupled traits, which have implications for understanding ecological adaption strategies of P. chinensis under environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jin
- School of Ecology and Environment Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Xiaocheng Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Jinlong Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Mengcheng Duan
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxuan Mo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Leiyun Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Rong Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Jianli Zhao
- School of Ecology and Environment Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jia Song
- School of Environmental and Geographical Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gbadamassi Gouvide Olawole Dossa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Huazheng Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Xishuangbanna, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- Xishuangbanna Forest Ecosystem Yunnan Field Scientific Observation Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
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Kalirad A, Sommer RJ. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity alter the cost of plasticity in Pristionchus pacificus. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011823. [PMID: 38289972 PMCID: PMC10857712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce distinct phenotypes under different environmental conditions, has become a leading concept in ecology and evolutionary biology, with the most extreme examples being the formation of alternative phenotypes (polyphenisms). However, several aspects associated with phenotypic plasticity remain controversial, such as the existence of associated costs. While already predicted by some of the pioneers of plasticity research, i.e. Schmalhausen and Bradshaw, experimental and theoretical approaches have provided limited support for the costs of plasticity. In experimental studies, one common restriction is the measurement of all relevant parameters over long time periods. Similarly, theoretical studies rarely use modelling approaches that incorporate specific experimentally-derived fitness parameters. Therefore, the existence of the costs of plasticity remains disputed. Here, we provide an integrative approach to understand the cost of adaptive plasticity and its ecological ramifications, by combining laboratory data from the nematode plasticity model system Pristionchus pacificus with a stage-structured population model. Taking advantage of measurements of two isogenic strains grown on two distinct diets, we illustrate how spatial and temporal heterogeneity with regard to the distribution of resources on a metapopulation can alter the outcome of the competition and alleviate the realized cost of plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ata Kalirad
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralf J. Sommer
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Zou HX, Rudolf VHW. Bridging theory and experiments of priority effects. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1203-1216. [PMID: 37633727 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Priority effects play a key role in structuring natural communities, but considerable confusion remains about how they affect different ecological systems. Synthesizing previous studies, we show that this confusion arises because the mechanisms driving priority and the temporal scale at which they operate differ among studies, leading to divergent outcomes in species interactions and biodiversity patterns. We suggest grouping priority effects into two functional categories based on their mechanisms: frequency-dependent priority effects that arise from positive frequency dependence, and trait-dependent priority effects that arise from time-dependent changes in interacting traits. Through easy quantification of these categories from experiments, we can construct community models representing diverse biological mechanisms and interactions with priority effects, therefore better predicting their consequences across ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng-Xing Zou
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Volker H W Rudolf
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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6
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Gómez JM, González-Megías A, Armas C, Narbona E, Navarro L, Perfectti F. The role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping ecological networks. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S47-S61. [PMID: 37840020 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-mediated changes in interaction dynamics and structure may scale up and affect the ecological network in which the plastic species are embedded. Despite their potential relevance for understanding the effects of plasticity on ecological communities, these effects have seldom been analysed. We argue here that, by boosting the magnitude of intra-individual phenotypic variation, plasticity may have three possible direct effects on the interactions that the plastic species maintains with other species in the community: may expand the interaction niche, may cause a shift from one interaction niche to another or may even cause the colonization of a new niche. The combined action of these three factors can scale to the community level and eventually expresses itself as a modification in the topology and functionality of the entire ecological network. We propose that this causal pathway can be more widespread than previously thought and may explain how interaction niches evolve quickly in response to rapid changes in environmental conditions. The implication of this idea is not solely eco-evolutionary but may also help to understand how ecological interactions rewire and evolve in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Gómez
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Adela González-Megías
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina Armas
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis Navarro
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Francisco Perfectti
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Hämäläinen R, Kajanus MH, Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Seppänen JT, Loukola OJ. Ecological and evolutionary consequences of selective interspecific information use. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:490-503. [PMID: 36849224 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that animals frequently use social information from individuals of their own species as well as from other species; however, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of this social information use remain poorly understood. Additionally, information users may be selective in their social information use, deciding from whom and how to use information, but this has been overlooked in an interspecific context. In particular, the intentional decision to reject a behaviour observed via social information has received less attention, although recent work has indicated its presence in various taxa. Based on existing literature, we explore in which circumstances selective interspecific information use may lead to different ecological and coevolutionary outcomes between two species, such as explaining observed co-occurrences of putative competitors. The initial ecological differences and the balance between the costs of competition and the benefits of social information use potentially determine whether selection may lead to trait divergence, convergence or coevolutionary arms race between two species. We propose that selective social information use, including adoption and rejection of behaviours, may have far-reaching fitness consequences, potentially leading to community-level eco-evolutionary outcomes. We argue that these consequences of selective interspecific information use may be much more widespread than has thus far been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mira H Kajanus
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Sami M Kivelä
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Yamamichi M, Gibbs T, Levine JM. Integrating eco-evolutionary dynamics and modern coexistence theory. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2091-2106. [PMID: 35962483 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Community ecology typically assumes that competitive exclusion and species coexistence are unaffected by evolution on the time scale of ecological dynamics. However, recent studies suggest that rapid evolution operating concurrently with competition may enable species coexistence. Such findings necessitate general theory that incorporates the coexistence contributions of eco-evolutionary processes in parallel with purely ecological mechanisms and provides metrics for quantifying the role of evolution in shaping competitive outcomes in both modelling and empirical contexts. To foster the development of such theory, here we extend the interpretation of the two principal metrics of modern coexistence theory-niche and competitive ability differences-to systems where competitors evolve. We define eco-evolutionary versions of these metrics by considering how invading and resident species adapt to conspecific and heterospecific competitors. We show that the eco-evolutionary niche and competitive ability differences are sums of ecological and evolutionary processes, and that they accurately predict the potential for stable coexistence in previous theoretical studies of eco-evolutionary dynamics. Finally, we show how this theory frames recent empirical assessments of rapid evolution effects on species coexistence, and how empirical work and theory on species coexistence and eco-evolutionary dynamics can be further integrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Yamamichi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of International Health and Medical Anthropology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Theo Gibbs
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jonathan M Levine
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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