Direct and indirect relationships between genetic diversity of a dominant grass, community diversity and above‐ground productivity in tallgrass prairie. (1st August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chang, Cynthia C.; Smith, Melinda D.; Prinzing, Andreas
• Is Part Of: Journal of vegetation science. Volume 25:Number 2(2014)
• Page Start: 470
• Page End: 480
• Publication Date: 2013-08-01
• Subjects: Plant ecology -- Periodicals; Plant communities -- Periodicals; Plant populations -- Periodicals; 581.7
• DOI: 10.1111/jvs.12108
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1100-9233

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jvs12108-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="jvs12108-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Question</title> <p>Both genetic diversity within a dominant species and species diversity have been shown to affect productivity. However, these two levels of diversity have the potential to affect productivity in similar or opposing ways. Our study assessed direct and indirect relationships between genetic diversity of a dominant grass species and plant community diversity on productivity within a mesic grassland with naturally co‐occurring genotypes and species.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvs12108-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Location</title> <p>Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas, USA (39°05′35″ N, 96°33′31″ W).</p> </sec> <sec id="jvs12108-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>We conducted a study at two sites (~65 plots per site) in intact tallgrass prairie that have been subjected to frequent (burned 14 times) and infrequent (burned nine times) fire treatments for ~30 yrs. With frequent burning, the dominant C<sub>4</sub> grass, <italic>Andropogon gerardii, </italic> typically has higher abundance; in contrast, infrequently burned sites typically have higher species diversity but lower abundance of <italic>A. gerardii</italic>. Therefore, we hypothesized that genetic diversity within <italic>A. gerardii</italic> would have a significant direct relationship with productivity for the frequently burned site due to higher population abundances of <italic>A. gerardii</italic> overall<italic>, </italic> whereas species diversity would have a significant direct relationship with productivity for the infrequently burned site.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvs12108-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Contrary to our predictions, genetic diversity of <italic>A. gerardii</italic> was not related to above‐ground productivity either directly or indirectly via traits, while diversity at the community level had a negative indirect relationship with productivity via a negative effect of <italic>A. gerardii</italic> abundance on community diversity for both frequently and infrequently burned sites.</p> </sec> <sec id="jvs12108-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>While much of the focus of diversity–productivity research has been on direct relationships between diversity at the community or population level separately, future studies should examine the indirect and potentially interactive effects of both levels of diversity in natural communities.</p> </sec> </abstract>