title: Intraspecific genetic variation and species coexistence in plant communities.
abstract: Many studies report that intraspecific genetic variation in plants can affect community composition and coexistence. However, less is known about which traits are responsible and the mechanisms by which variation in these traits affect the associated community. Focusing on plant-plant interactions, we review empirical studies exemplifying how intraspecific genetic variation in functional traits impacts plant coexistence. Intraspecific variation in chemical and architectural traits promotes species coexistence, by both increasing habitat heterogeneity and altering competitive hierarchies. Decomposing species interactions into interactions between genotypes shows that genotype × genotype interactions are often intransitive. The outcome of plant-plant interactions varies with local adaptation to the environment and with dominant neighbour genotypes, and some plants can recognize the genetic identity of neighbour plants if they have a common history of coexistence. Taken together, this reveals a very dynamic nature of coexistence. We outline how more traits mediating plant-plant interactions may be identified, and how future studies could use population genetic surveys of genotype distribution in nature and methods from trait-based ecology to better quantify the impact of intraspecific genetic variation on plant coexistence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark boe@bios.au.dk.
authors.forename: Bodil K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Damgaard
authors.affiliation: CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier 34293, France IRSTEA, U.R. Ecosystèmes Forestiers, Domaine des Barres, Nogent-sur-Vernisson 45290, France Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Ekologicentrum, Ulls väg 16, Ultuna, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laroche
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D010641:Phenotype; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: adaptive traits; competition; facilitation; plant–plant interactions