TY - JOUR T1 - A framework for community and ecosystem genetics: from genes to ecosystems. JF - Nature reviews. Genetics Y1 - 2006 A1 - Whitham,Thomas G A1 - JK Bailey A1 - Jennifer A Schweitzer A1 - Shuster,Stephen M A1 - RK Bangert A1 - LeRoy,Carri J A1 - Lonsdorf,Eric V A1 - Allan,Gery J A1 - DiFazio,Stephen P A1 - Potts,Brad M A1 - Fischer,Dylan G A1 - Gehring,Catherine A A1 - Lindroth,Richard L A1 - Jane C Marks A1 - Stephen C Hart A1 - Wimp,Gina M A1 - Wooley,Stuart C KW - Animals KW - Ecosystem KW - Genetics, Population KW - Humans KW - Plants AB -

Can heritable traits in a single species affect an entire ecosystem? Recent studies show that such traits in a common tree have predictable effects on community structure and ecosystem processes. Because these 'community and ecosystem phenotypes' have a genetic basis and are heritable, we can begin to apply the principles of population and quantitative genetics to place the study of complex communities and ecosystems within an evolutionary framework. This framework could allow us to understand, for the first time, the genetic basis of ecosystem processes, and the effect of such phenomena as climate change and introduced transgenic organisms on entire communities.

VL - 7 SN - 1471-0056 UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&DbFrom=pubmed&Cmd=Link&LinkName=pubmed_pubmed&LinkReadableName=Related%20Articles&IdsFromResult=16778835&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumhttp://www.ncbi. IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Importance of species interactions to community heritability: a genetic basis to trophic-level interactions. JF - Ecology letters Y1 - 2006 A1 - JK Bailey A1 - Wooley,Stuart C A1 - Lindroth,Richard L A1 - Whitham,Thomas G KW - Animals KW - Aphids KW - Birds KW - Food Chain KW - Genotype KW - Plant Leaves KW - Populus AB -

Recent community genetics studies have shown that specific genotypes of a host plant support distinct arthropod communities. Building upon these findings, we examined the hypothesis that a trophic community consisting of cottonwood trees, a galling herbivore and avian predators could also be related to the genetics of the host tree. We found genetic correlations among phytochemistry of individual tree genotypes, the density of a galling herbivore, and the intensity of avian predation on these herbivores. We detected significant broad-sense heritability of these interactions that range from H(B)2 = 0.70 to 0.83. The genetic basis of these interactions tended to increase across trophic levels suggesting that small genetic changes in the cottonwood phenotype could have major consequences at higher trophic levels affecting species interactions and energy flow. These findings show a heritable basis to trophic-level interactions indicating that there is a significant genetic basis to community composition and energy flow that is predictable by plant genotype. Our data clearly link plant genetics to patterns of avian foraging and show that species interactions are important components of community heritability and ecosystem processes. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that evolution of plant traits can alter trophic-level interactions and community composition.

VL - 9 SN - 1461-023X UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&DbFrom=pubmed&Cmd=Link&LinkName=pubmed_pubmed&LinkReadableName=Related%20Articles&IdsFromResult=16958871&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumhttp://www.ncbi. IS - 1 ER -