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Climate‐driven reduction of genetic variation in plant phenology alters soil communities and nutrient pools
Author(s) -
Ware Ian M.,
Van Nuland Michael E.,
Schweitzer Jennifer A.,
Yang Zamin,
Schadt Christopher W.,
SidakLoftis Lindsay C.,
Stone Nathan E.,
Busch Joseph D.,
Wagner David M.,
Bailey Joseph K.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/gcb.14553
Subject(s) - phenology , ecosystem , ecology , biology , population , climate change , plant community , soil carbon , environmental science , soil water , ecological succession , demography , sociology
We examined the hypothesis that climate‐driven evolution of plant traits will influence associated soil microbiomes and ecosystem function across the landscape. Using a foundation tree species, Populus angustifolia , observational and common garden approaches, and a base population genetic collection that spans 17 river systems in the western United States, from AZ to MT, we show that (a) as mean annual temperature (MAT) increases, genetic and phenotypic variation for bud break phenology decline; (b) soil microbiomes, soil nitrogen (N), and soil carbon (C) vary in response to MAT and conditioning by trees; and (c) with losses of genetic variation due to warming, population‐level regulation of community and ecosystem functions strengthen. These results demonstrate a relationship between the potential evolutionary response of populations and subsequent shifts in ecosystem function along a large temperature gradient.