It is about time: genetic variation in the timing of leaf-litter inputs influences aquatic ecosyst

MARIANO A. RODRIGUEZ CABAL; M. NOELIA BARRIOS GARCIA; SETH M. RUDMAN; ATHENA D. MCKOWN; TAKUYA SATO; GREGORY M. CRUTSINGER

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY (PRINT)

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017

0046-5070

1. Phenology, or the timing of life cycle events, is a key trait of organisms that has significance forhow communities are assembled and ecosystems function. Although variation in phenology in plantshas received increased attention over the past decade as a result of changing climate, we are onlybeginning to understand the role of genetic variation in these phenological traits on ecologicalinteractions and ecosystem-level processes.2. The influence of tree species on riparian environments presents an interesting system forunderstanding the effects of phenology in terrestrial species on aquatic ecosystems. Here, we used adominant riparian tree (Populus trichocarpa: Salicaceae) and tested intraspecific genetic variation inthe phenological timing of leaf drop, which influenced leaf-litter inputs into our experimental aquaticecosystems.3. Our empirical results found that genotypic differences in P. trichocarpa explained much of thevariation both in leaf-litter decomposition and aquatic invertebrate species richness within ourexperimental ponds. Moreover, our results showed that variation in the timing of leaf-litter inputsoutweighed the effects of variation in leaf-litter quality among P. trichocarpa genotypes on aquaticinvertebrate species richness.4. Taken together, our results suggest that genetic variation in the timing of litter inputs fromdominant plant species is likely to be a strong underlying mechanism driving litter decompositionand invertebrate communities in aquatic ecosystems. This emphasises that studies disregardingphenology may significantly underestimate an important and variable component in communitiesand ecosystems.