title: Genetic diversity in aspen and its relation to arthropod abundance.
abstract: The ecological consequences of biodiversity have become a prominent public issue. Little is known on the effect of genetic diversity on ecosystem services. Here, a diversity experiment was established with European and North American aspen (Populus tremula, P. tremuloides) planted in plots representing either a single deme only or combinations of two, four and eight demes. The goals of this study were to explore the complex inter- and intraspecific genetic diversity of aspen and to then relate three measures for diversity (deme diversity, genetic diversity determined as Shannon index or as expected heterozygosity) to arthropod abundance. Microsatellite and AFLP markers were used to analyze the genetic variation patterns within and between the aspen demes and deme mixtures. Large differences were observed regarding the genetic diversity within demes. An analysis of molecular variance revealed that most of the total genetic diversity was found within demes, but the genetic differentiation among demes was also high. The complex patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation resulted in large differences of the genetic variation within plots. The average diversity increased from plots with only one deme to plots with two, four, and eight demes, respectively and separated plots with and without American aspen. To test whether intra- and interspecific diversity impacts on ecosystem services, arthropod abundance was determined. Increasing genetic diversity of aspen was related to increasing abundance of arthropods. However, the relationship was mainly driven by the presence of American aspen suggesting that species identity overrode the effect of intraspecific variation of European aspen.
authors: College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University Shaanxi, China ; Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Chunxia
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Vornam
authors: Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Volmer
authors: Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Prinz
authors: Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Frauke
authors: F
authors: Kleemann
authors: Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Köhler
authors: Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Polle
authors: Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Büsgen-Institute, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Reiner
authors: R
authors: Finkeldey
keywords: AFLPs; Populus; SSRs; arthropod abundance; diversity experiment; genetic variation