Community Genetics and Ecosystem Dynamics
Summary
Community genetics investigates how genetic diversity within and among species influences the structure, functioning and resilience of ecological communities. By linking variation at the molecular and quantitative genetic levels to patterns of species interactions, nutrient cycling and energy flow, this discipline reveals genome‐to‐ecosystem cascades. Intraspecific genetic variation in foundation species often drives differences in trophic assembly, microbial composition and ecosystem processes such as decomposition and primary productivity. Reciprocal feedbacks between community assembly and evolutionary dynamics can lead to co‐adaptation, altered nutrient fluxes and modified responses to disturbance. Advances in molecular markers, quantitative trait locus mapping and high‐throughput sequencing have deepened our understanding of direct genetic effects on associated species as well as indirect genetic effects mediated through trait‐based interactions. Insights from community genetics inform conservation biology, restoration ecology and adaptive management by emphasising the role of genetic diversity in sustaining ecosystem services and resilience in the face of global change.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Research from all publishers
Recent experiments with riparian cottonwood populations transplanted along elevation and distance gradients demonstrate that genetically determined leaf traits, notably leaf area, persist in new environments and significantly influence arthropod community composition and richness. These findings highlight that trait‐based genetic variation rather than phenotypic plasticity alone governs community assembly under assisted migration scenarios. A continental‐scale investigation of a foundation tree species revealed that tree genetic structure, climate and geography jointly predict the composition of leaf‐modifying arthropods and fungal endophytes. While genetic variation was the primary determinant of endophyte community structure, climatic variables better explained arthropod patterns. This work emphasises scale‐dependent genetic effects and provides a framework for integrating fine‐scale genetic processes into macrosystems ecology and biodiversity conservation.
Community Genetics and Ecosystem Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in community genetics and ecosystem dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Intraspecific genetic variation: Differences in genetic composition among individuals within a single species.
Quantitative trait locus (QTL): A genomic region associated with variation in a continuously distributed trait.
Foundation species: A taxa that exerts a strong structuring influence on community composition and ecosystem functioning.
Macrosystems ecology: An approach that examines ecological patterns and processes at continental to global scales.
Endophyte: A microorganism, often fungal or bacterial, that lives inside plant tissues without causing apparent harm.
References
- Assisted migration experiments along a distance/elevation gradient show limits to supporting home site communities. PLOS Climate (2023).
- Microevolutionary Processes in a Foundation Tree Inform Macrosystem Patterns of Community Biodiversity and Structure. Forests (2023).
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