Contemporary Evolution of Plant Growth Rate Following Experimental Removal of Herbivores

Turley, Nash E.; Odell, Walter C.; Schaefer, Hanno; Everwand, Georg; Crawley, Michael J.; Johnson, Marc T. J.

doi:10.1086/668075

Cited by 38 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…Long-term experiments like the Park Grass experiment have observed adaptation on adjacent plots experiencing different nutrient treatments for more than 100 years (Freeland et al 2010). In a similar experiment of more than 20 years, Rumex acetosa evolved slower growth rates in field plots protected from predation by rabbits, although their competitive interactions with other plant species did not change as a result (Turley et al 2013). One issue for field experiments is distinguishing in situ evolution from colonization of preadapted genotypes from outside the experimental site.…”

Section: Surveys Of Evolutionary Dynamics In Whole Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Do Species Interactions Affect Evolutionary Dynamics Across Whole Communities?

Barraclough

2015

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

145

130

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Theories of how species evolve in changing environments mostly consider single species in isolation or pairs of interacting species. Yet all organisms live in diverse communities containing many hundreds of species. This review discusses how species interactions influence the evolution of constituent species across whole communities. When species interactions are weak or inconsistent, evolutionary dynamics should be predictable by factors identified by single-species theory. Stronger species interactions, however, can alter evolutionary outcomes and either dampen or promote evolution of constituent species depending on the number of species and the distribution of interaction strengths across the interaction network. Genetic interactions, such as horizontal gene transfer, might also affect evolutionary outcomes. These evolutionary mechanisms in turn affect whole-community properties, such as the level of ecosystem functioning. Successful management of both ecosystems and focal species requires new understanding of evolutionary interactions across whole communities.

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Section: Surveys Of Evolutionary Dynamics In Whole Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Do Species Interactions Affect Evolutionary Dynamics Across Whole Communities?

Barraclough

2015

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

145

130

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“…Our previous work, using the same long‐term experiment from Silwood Park, showed that Rumex acetosa L. (Polygonaceae) evolved decreased growth rate in the absence of rabbit grazing, but we found no evidence for evolution in chemical defences or tolerance to herbivory (Turley et al . ). Whether other species in the same community show similar patterns of evolutionary responses is unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Experimental test of plant defence evolution in four species using long‐term rabbit exclosures

et al. 2014

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Summary1. Plant defence traits have evolved over macro-and microevolutionary time-scales in response to herbivores. Although a number of studies have investigated the evolutionary impacts of herbivores over short time-scales, few studies have experimentally examined what defence traits most commonly evolve and whether multiple coexisting species exhibit similar evolutionary responses to herbivores. 2. We addressed these questions using a long-term experiment at Silwood Park, England, United Kingdom, where we excluded rabbits from 38 grassland plots for <1-34 years. To assess the evolutionary impacts of rabbits on plant defence traits, we collected seeds from plots containing the following perennial species: Anthoxanthum odoratum (Poaceae), Festuca rubra ssp. rubra (Poaceae), Holcus lanatus (Poaceae) and Stellaria graminea (Caryophyllaceae). We then grew these plants in a common garden and measured defensive and morphological traits. 3. We found some evidence for evolutionary change of defence traits in three of the four species following the exclusion of rabbits. We observed the clearest changes in F. rubra, which showed a 9% decline in tolerance to herbivory and a 26% decline in leaf number. We also observed weak evidence for a change in all grass species towards a more erect growth form suggesting that grazing selects for plants that grow close to the ground. 4. Although our results are most consistent with evolution due to changes in the frequency of alleles and genotypes, we cannot rule out that epigenetic changes (e.g. methylation) or maternal environmental effects also contributed to or caused the observed long-term phenotypic responses. 5. Synthesis. Our study provides an experimental test of the evolutionary effects of an ecologically important herbivore. We found evidence for plant defence evolution following >20 years of rabbit exclusion. However, the evidence was only strong in one species for multiple traits, weak in all three grass species for avoidance and absent in an herb species. This suggests that the evolutionary effects of an ecologically important herbivore on plants will be variable and difficult to predict in nature.

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“…Conflicting selection on floral traits by pollinators and herbivores have been inferred in many systems (15,19,20), but no study has simultaneously manipulated the intensity of both interactions to determine their relative importance for spatiotemporal variation in selection on plant traits. There is also a lack of studies experimentally examining the importance of biotic interactions for the evolutionary trajectories of natural plant populations (28,29).Here, we combine long-term observational data and field experiments to examine causes and consequences of spatial and temporal variation in selection on floral display in the rosetteforming, short-lived, perennial herb Primula farinosa. This species offers an ideal system to examine the outcome of conflicting selection by mutualists and antagonists.…”

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confidence: 99%

Mutualists and antagonists drive among-population variation in selection and evolution of floral display in a perennial herb

Ågren

Hellström

Toräng

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

117

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Spatial variation in the direction of selection drives the evolution of adaptive differentiation. However, few experimental studies have examined the relative importance of different environmental factors for variation in selection and evolutionary trajectories in natural populations. Here, we combine 8 y of observational data and field experiments to assess the relative importance of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions for spatial variation in selection and short-term evolution of a genetically based floral display dimorphism in the short-lived perennial herb Primula farinosa. Natural populations of this species include two floral morphs: long-scaped plants that present their flowers well above the ground and short-scaped plants with flowers positioned close to the ground. The direction and magnitude of selection on scape morph varied among populations, and so did the frequency of the short morph (median 19%, range 0-100%; n = 69 populations). A field experiment replicated at four sites demonstrated that variation in the strength of interactions with grazers and pollinators were responsible for among-population differences in relative fitness of the two morphs. Selection exerted by grazers favored the short-scaped morph, whereas pollinator-mediated selection favored the long-scaped morph. Moreover, variation in selection among natural populations was associated with differences in morph frequency change, and the experimental removal of grazers at nine sites significantly reduced the frequency of the shortscaped morph over 8 y. The results demonstrate that spatial variation in intensity of grazing and pollination produces a selection mosaic, and that changes in biotic interactions can trigger rapid genetic changes in natural plant populations.patial variation in the intensity of biotic interactions is an integral part of the geographic mosaic model of coevolution (1, 2), and may result in divergent selection and the maintenance of genetic variation in traits influencing the strength and outcome of interactions (3, 4). However, few studies have presented quantitative estimates of spatiotemporal variation in selection on traits influencing the outcome of biotic interactions across more than a handful of populations. In plants, variation in the composition of the mutualist and antagonist assemblages may result in spatially varying selection on morphology, phenology, and lifehistory traits (e.g., 5-12). Of particular interest are traits such as floral display that may be subject to conflicting selection from mutualists and antagonists, and where the magnitude and direction of net selection should depend on the relative strength of these interactions (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).Experimental manipulation of environmental conditions is a powerful approach to identify agents of selection and to determine the evolutionary consequences of changes in the selection regime (21,22). Experimental manipulation of pollen deposition (6,23,24) and interactions with herbivores (25-28) can be used to assess the roles of p...

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Contemporary Evolution of Plant Growth Rate Following Experimental Removal of Herbivores

Cited by 38 publications

References 97 publications

How Do Species Interactions Affect Evolutionary Dynamics Across Whole Communities?

How Do Species Interactions Affect Evolutionary Dynamics Across Whole Communities?

Experimental test of plant defence evolution in four species using long‐term rabbit exclosures

Mutualists and antagonists drive among-population variation in selection and evolution of floral display in a perennial herb

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