Diversity effects in early- and mid-successional species pools along a nitrogen gradient

Biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) experiments often employ common garden designs, drawing samples from a local biota. However, the communities from which taxa are sampled may not be at equilibrium. I assembled pools of aquatic bacterial strains isolated at different time points from leaves on the pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica to evaluate the role of a dynamic, host-associated microbiota on the BEF relationship. I constructed experimental communities using bacteria from each time point and measured their respiration rates. Communities assembled from mid-successional species pools showed the strongest positive relationships between community richness and respiration rates, driven primarily by linear additivity among isolates. Diffuse competition was common among all communities but greatest within mid-successional isolates. These results demonstrate the dependence of the BEF relationship on the temporal dynamics of the local species pool, implying that ecosystems may respond differently to the addition or removal of taxa at different points in time during succession.

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Time-variant species pools shape competitive dynamics and diversity-ecosystem function relationships

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1897v2 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Dave W Armitage

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Function ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Common Garden ◽

Competitive Dynamics ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Pitcher Plant ◽

Respiration Rates ◽

Species Pools ◽

Local Species ◽

Successional Species

Biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) experiments routinely employ common garden designs, drawing samples from a local biota. The communities from which taxa are sampled may not, however, be at equilibrium. To test for temporal changes in BEF relationships, I assembled pools of aquatic bacterial strains isolated at different time points from leaves on the pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica in order to evaluate the strength, direction, and drivers of the BEF relationship across a natural host-associated successional gradient. I constructed experimental communities using bacterial isolates from each time point and measured their respiration rates and competitive interactions. Communities assembled from mid-successional species pools showed the strongest positive relationships between community richness and respiration rates, driven primarily by linear additivity among isolates. Diffuse competition was common among all communities but greatest within mid-successional isolates. These results demonstrate the dependence of the BEF relationship on the temporal dynamics of the local species pool, implying that ecosystems may respond differently to the addition or removal of taxa at different points in time during succession.

Download Full-text

Time-variant species pools shape competitive dynamics and diversity-ecosystem function relationships

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1897 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Dave W Armitage

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Function ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Common Garden ◽

Competitive Dynamics ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Pitcher Plant ◽

Respiration Rates ◽

Species Pools ◽

Local Species ◽

Successional Species

Biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) experiments routinely employ common garden designs, drawing samples from a local biota. The communities from which taxa are sampled may not, however, be at equilibrium. To test for temporal changes in BEF relationships, I assembled pools of aquatic bacterial strains isolated at different time points from leaves on the pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica in order to evaluate the strength, direction, and drivers of the BEF relationship across a natural host-associated successional gradient. I constructed experimental communities using bacterial isolates from each time point and measured their respiration rates and competitive interactions. Communities assembled from mid-successional species pools showed the strongest positive relationships between community richness and respiration rates, driven primarily by linear additivity among isolates. Diffuse competition was common among all communities but greatest within mid-successional isolates. These results demonstrate the dependence of the BEF relationship on the temporal dynamics of the local species pool, implying that ecosystems may respond differently to the addition or removal of taxa at different points in time during succession.

Download Full-text

Time-variant species pools shape competitive dynamics and biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2016.1437 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 283 (1838) ◽

pp. 20161437 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David W. Armitage

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Function ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Common Garden ◽

Competitive Dynamics ◽

Bacterial Strains ◽

Pitcher Plant ◽

Respiration Rates ◽

Species Pools ◽

Local Species ◽

Successional Species

Biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) experiments routinely employ common garden designs, drawing samples from a local biota. The communities from which taxa are sampled may not, however, be at equilibrium. To test for temporal changes in BEF relationships, I assembled the pools of aquatic bacterial strains isolated at different time points from leaves on the pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica in order to evaluate the strength, direction and drivers of the BEF relationship across a natural host-associated successional gradient. I constructed experimental communities using bacterial isolates from each time point and measured their respiration rates and competitive interactions. Communities assembled from mid-successional species pools showed the strongest positive relationships between community richness and respiration rates, driven primarily by linear additivity among isolates. Diffuse competition was common among all communities but greatest within mid-successional isolates. These results demonstrate the dependence of the BEF relationship on the temporal dynamics of the local species pool, implying that ecosystems may respond differently to the addition or removal of taxa at different points in time during succession.

Download Full-text