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Intraspecific genetic diversity and composition modify species‐level diversity–productivity relationships
Author(s) -
Schöb Christian,
Kerle Sarah,
Karley Alison J.,
Morcillo Luna,
Pakeman Robin J.,
Newton Adrian C.,
Brooker Rob W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.13043
Subject(s) - biology , biodiversity , intraspecific competition , interspecific competition , genetic diversity , hordeum vulgare , ecology , alpha diversity , ecosystem , species diversity , ecosystem diversity , weed , poaceae , population , demography , sociology
Summary Biodiversity regulates ecosystem functions such as productivity, and experimental studies of species mixtures have revealed selection and complementarity effects driving these responses. However, the impacts of intraspecific genotypic diversity in these studies are unknown, despite it forming a substantial part of the biodiversity. In a glasshouse experiment we constructed plant communities with different levels of barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) genotype and weed species diversity and assessed their relative biodiversity effects through additive partitioning into selection and complementarity effects. Barley genotype diversity had weak positive effects on aboveground biomass through complementarity effects, whereas weed species diversity increased biomass predominantly through selection effects. When combined, increasing genotype diversity of barley tended to dilute the selection effect of weeds. We interpret these different effects of barley genotype and weed species diversity as the consequence of small vs large trait variation associated with intraspecific barley diversity and interspecific weed diversity, respectively. The different effects of intra‐ vs interspecific diversity highlight the underestimated and overlooked role of genetic diversity for ecosystem functioning.