Abstract
In a local environment, plant networks include interactions among individuals of different species and among genotypes of the same species. While interspecific interactions are recognized as main drivers of plant community patterns, intraspecific interactions have recently gained attention in explaining plant community dynamics. However, an overview of intraspecific genotype-by-genotype interaction patterns within wild plant species is still missing. From the literature, we identified 91 experiments that were mainly designed to investigate the presence of positive interactions based on two contrasting hypotheses. Kin selection theory predicts partisan help given to a genealogical relative. The rationale behind this hypothesis relies on kin/non-kin recognition, with the positive outcome of kin cooperation substantiating it. On the other hand, the elbow-room hypothesis supports intraspecific niche partitioning leading to positive outcome when genetically distant genotypes interact. Positive diversity-productivity relationship rationalizes this hypothesis, notably with the outcome of overyielding. We found that both these hypotheses have been highly supported in experimental studies despite their opposite predictions between the extent of genetic relatedness among neighbors and the level of positive interactions. Interestingly, we identified a highly significant effect of breeding system, with a high proportion of selfing species associated with the presence of kin cooperation. Nonetheless, we identified several shortcomings regardless of the species considered, such as the lack of a reliable estimate of genetic relatedness among genotypes and ecological characterization of the natural habitats from which genotypes were collected, thereby impeding the identification of selective drivers of positive interactions. We therefore propose a framework combining evolutionary ecology and genomics to establish the eco-genomic landscape of positive GxG interactions in wild plant species.
Highlights
During the course of its life cycle, a plant can interact directly or indirectly – consecutively and/or concurrently – with multiple neighboring plants
Intraspecific Positive Plant–Plant Interactions play an important role in regulating the diversity and structure of plant communities and ecosystem functioning, through their effects on resource availability and habitat structure (Brooker, 2006; Martorell and Freckleton, 2014)
Studying the mechanisms underlying plant–plant interactions is essential to understand the dynamics of plant communities, which may in turn help to predict the resilience of plant species to anthropogenic-related global changes (Subrahmaniam et al, 2018)
Summary
During the course of its life cycle, a plant can interact directly or indirectly – consecutively and/or concurrently – with multiple neighboring plants. Based on all the experiments listed in this survey, we identified a major shortcoming of the plant material used to study GxG interactions, regardless of the identity of the species considered.
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