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Genetically based trait in a dominant tree affects ecosystem processes
Abstract
Fundamental links between genes and ecosystem processes have remained elusive, although they have the potential to place ecosystem sciences within a genetic and evolutionary framework. Utilizing common gardens with cottonwood trees of known genotype, we found that the concentration of condensed tannins is genetically based and is the best predictor of ecosystem‐level processes. Condensed tannin inputs from foliage explained 55–65% of the variation in soil net nitrogen (N) mineralization under both field and laboratory conditions. Alternative associations with litter lignin, soil moisture or soil temperature were relatively poor predictors of litter decomposition and net N mineralization. In contrast to the paradigm that the effects of genes are too diffuse to be important at the ecosystem‐level, here we show that plant genes had strong, immediate effects on ecosystem function via a tight coupling of plant polyphenols to rates of nitrogen cycling.
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Citations
Cited by
Biodiversity and Litter Decomposition in Terrestrial Ecosystems
Hättenschwiler, S., Tiunov, A. V., & Scheu, S. (2005) · Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.112904.151932 · Cited by 1,674
Plant secondary metabolites: a key driver of litter decomposition and soil nutrient cycling
Chomel, M., Guittonny‐Larchevêque, M., Fernandez, C., Gallet, C., DesRochers, A., Paré, D., Jackson, B. G., & Baldy, V. (2016) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12644 · Cited by 382
Differential priming of soil carbon driven by soil depth and root impacts on carbon availability
de Graaff, M.-A., Jastrow, J. D., Gillette, S., Johns, A., & Wullschleger, S. D. (2014) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.10.047 · Cited by 155
Gonzalez, A., Mouquet, N., & Loreau, M. (2009) · Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199547951.003.0010 · Cited by 92
Metadata
- Authors
- Schweitzer, J. A., Bailey, J. K., Rehill, B. J., Martinsen, G. D., Hart, S. C., Lindroth, R. L., Keim, P., & Whitham, T. G.
- Venue
- Ecology Letters
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-02
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 127-134
- ISSN
- 1461-023X (ISSN-L)
- 1461-0248
- OpenAlex
- W2163806683
- Cited by
- 356
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 36.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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- Schweitzer, J. A., Bailey, J. K., Rehill, B. J., Martinsen, G. D., Hart, S. C., Lindroth, R. L., Keim, P., & Whitham, T. G. (2004). Genetically based trait in a dominant tree affects ecosystem processes. Ecology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2003.00562.x
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
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