Download BACKGROUND PREVIOUS RESULTS EXPERIMENT OUTLOOK

Is there evidence for rapid evolution in
a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment?
Sofia van Moorsel*1, Terhi Hahl1, Debra Zuppinger-Dingley1, Philippine Vergeer2, Joop Ouborg3 and Bernhard Schmid1
1
Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2
Wageningen University, the Netherlands
3
Radboud Unversity Nijmegen, the Netherlands
PREVIOUS RESULTS
Plant communities with high species
diversity are more productive than
those with lower diversity. This positive effect of biodiversity generally
increases over time.
Additionally, mixture types demonstrated stronger biodiversity effects
than monoculture types (Figure 1B).
For the first time we have evidence
for rapid evolution in grassland
ecosystems.
B
Selection history
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2.0
Monoculture
Mixture
Biodiversity effects
Net effects
Complementary effects
Sampling effects
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1.5
Community biomass (g)
Recent studies have shown grassland
plants surviving for eight years in
mixed species communities have been
selected for better performance in
mixed communities (mixture types)
in contrast to plants selected in monocultures (monoculture types), and vice
versa (Figure 1A).
A
Biodiversity effects (g/pot)
BACKGROUND
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B Mixture types performed better in
species mixtures due to an increase in
complementarity effects via selection
for trait divergence between species in
mixtures.
1.0
0.5
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Figure 1.
A Plants selected over eight years in
mixtures produced greater biomass in
new test mixtures in contrast to plants
selected in monocultures, as indicated by
the difference in slopes.
This stronger biodiversity effect in
mixture types appeared to be a general
trend for both cuttings and seedlings and
functional group combinations.
(Zuppinger - Dingley et al., 2014 in Nature)
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Monoculture
Mixture
Planted community
0.0
Monoculture
Mixture
Selection History
EXPERIMENT
OUTLOOK
In a glasshouse experiment (see photos) we tested:
Samples from monoculture and mixture type plants are currently being
sequenced in order to determine differences in methylation patterns
and SNP’s.
1
Selection for increased
combining ability in mixtures, and
for increased complementarity between
species of mixture types and monoculture types.
2
Genetic and epigenetic differences
between monoculture and mixture types
of the same species.
I assembled two-species mixtures and monocultures of nine European grassland species in pots each with four competing plants. After 20 weeks of growth, I harvested
the aboveground biomass of all the individuals and measured phenotypic traits in order to assess their complementarity. The leaf samples for the subsequent genetic and
epigenetic analysis were collected after 10 weeks of growth and frozen at -80° C.
Acknowledgments
SNF grant for funding, Tobias Vogler, Daniel Trujillo, Matthias Furler, Dorde Topalovic,
Niels Wagemaker, URPP GCB, ESF Congenomics Network
*Corresponding author: Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, [email protected]
To test for genetic and epigenetic differences we make use of a reduced
representation bisulfite sequencing
(RBBS) technique that enables us to
screen both genetic and epigenetic
variation in a cost-efficient and highly
detailed way. We expect first results
in the beginning of 2016.