title: Phenotypic Plasticity and Species Coexistence.
abstract: Ecologists are increasingly interested in predicting how intraspecific variation and changing trait values impact species interactions and community composition. For many traits, much of this variation is caused by phenotypic plasticity, and thus the impact of plasticity on species coexistence deserves robust quantification. Partly due to a lack of sound theoretical expectations, empirical studies make contradictory claims regarding plasticity effects on coexistence. Our critical review of this literature, framed in modern coexistence theory, reveals that plasticity affects species interactions in ways that could impact stabilizing niche differences and competitive asymmetries. However, almost no study integrates these measures to quantify the net effect of plasticity on species coexistence. To address this challenge, we outline novel empirical approaches grounded in modern theory.
authors.affiliation: Center for Adaptation to a Changing Environment, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address: mart.turcotte@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Martin M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Turcotte
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D010641:Phenotype; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: character displacement; competitive asymmetry; intraspecific variation; niche shift; resource polymorphism.