Contrasting levels of β-diversity and underlying phylogenetic trends indicate different paths to chemical diversity in highland and lowland willow species

TY - JOUR

T1 - Contrasting levels of β-diversity and underlying phylogenetic trends indicate different paths to chemical diversity in highland and lowland willow species

AU - Volf, Martin

AU - Leong, Jing Vir

AU - de Lima Ferreira, Paola

AU - Volfová, Tereza

AU - Kozel, Petr

AU - Matos-Maraví, Pável

AU - Hörandl, Elvira

AU - Wagner, Natascha D.

AU - Luntamo, Niko

AU - Salminen, Juha Pekka

AU - Segar, Simon T.

AU - Sedio, Brian E.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2023/9

Y1 - 2023/9

N2 - Diverse specialised metabolites contributed to the success of vascular plants in colonising most terrestrial habitats. Understanding how distinct aspects of chemical diversity arise through heterogeneous environmental pressures can help us understand the effects of abiotic and biotic stress on plant evolution and community assembly. We examined highland and lowland willow species within a phylogenetic framework to test for trends in their chemical α-diversity (richness) and β-diversity (variation among species sympatric in elevation). We show that differences in chemistry among willows growing at different elevations occur mainly through shifts in chemical β-diversity and due to convergence or divergence among species sharing their elevation level. We also detect contrasting phylogenetic trends in concentration and α-diversity of metabolites in highland and lowland willow species. The resulting elevational patterns contribute to the chemical diversity of willows and suggest that variable selective pressure across ecological gradients may, more generally, underpin complex changes in plant chemistry.

AB - Diverse specialised metabolites contributed to the success of vascular plants in colonising most terrestrial habitats. Understanding how distinct aspects of chemical diversity arise through heterogeneous environmental pressures can help us understand the effects of abiotic and biotic stress on plant evolution and community assembly. We examined highland and lowland willow species within a phylogenetic framework to test for trends in their chemical α-diversity (richness) and β-diversity (variation among species sympatric in elevation). We show that differences in chemistry among willows growing at different elevations occur mainly through shifts in chemical β-diversity and due to convergence or divergence among species sharing their elevation level. We also detect contrasting phylogenetic trends in concentration and α-diversity of metabolites in highland and lowland willow species. The resulting elevational patterns contribute to the chemical diversity of willows and suggest that variable selective pressure across ecological gradients may, more generally, underpin complex changes in plant chemistry.

KW - divergence

KW - elevation

KW - escalation

KW - flavonoids

KW - herbivory

KW - salicinoids

KW - Salix

KW - specialised metabolites

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85163201683

U2 - 10.1111/ele.14273

DO - 10.1111/ele.14273

M3 - Letter

C2 - 37345539

AN - SCOPUS:85163201683

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 26

SP - 1559

EP - 1571

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 9

ER -