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Genetic effects of tank-forming bromeliads on the associated invertebrate community in a tropical forest ecosystem

  • Community ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Within the area of community genetics there is an expanding volume of literature demonstrating how within-species genetic variation in temperate trees can have important effects on structuring animal and plant communities. The influence of intraspecific genetic variation on associated communities in relatively more complex ecosystems is only starting to be appreciated. Within tropical forests, epiphytic bromeliad plants often grow high in the canopy and create unique nutrient-rich microhabitats on which many invertebrate and vertebrate species depend. We investigated the influence of within-species genetic variation in the bromeliad Aechmea bracteata on the invertebrate microhabitat community. We found that more genetically similar bromeliad plants were host to more similar communities of juvenile-stage invertebrates, but not adult invertebrates. We discuss possible mechanisms for this, including differential survival and active female oviposition choice. Our work shows that the impact of within-species genetic variation on associated ecological communities may be more general than previously considered. These results agree with recent research suggesting that within-species genetic variation may perform a supporting ecosystem service for maintaining community and ecological processes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Waldo Etherington, Adam van Casteren, Larissa Chambers, and Joaquín Urrutia for tree-climbing and bromeliad collection. We also want to thank Jennifer Rowntree and the many ‘Belize 2008–2010’ field course students who were involved in invertebrate community sampling. In addition, we thank Alice Kay, Nathan Truelove, and Lisa Andrejczak for assistance with molecular work. This work has been funded under the HECBP in cooperation between Damascus University and The British Council.

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  1. Sharon E. Zytynska

    Present address: Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Sharon E. Zytynska, Mouhammad Shadi Khudr & Richard F. Preziosi

  2. John Dalton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK

    Edwin Harris

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  1. Sharon E. Zytynska
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Correspondence to Sharon E. Zytynska.

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Communicated by Jason Tylianakis.

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Zytynska, S.E., Khudr, M.S., Harris, E. et al. Genetic effects of tank-forming bromeliads on the associated invertebrate community in a tropical forest ecosystem. Oecologia 170, 467–475 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-012-2310-3

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