Plant genome size mediates species and community responses to precipitation change and nitrogen enrichment

Evidence is mounting that plant genome size (GS) is associated with species’ ecological strategies for water and nutrient utilization. However, its role in mediating species’ responses to ongoing precipitation changes and increasing nitrogen deposition, and its impact on plant community dynamics, remains poorly understood. Here, combining a precipitation gradient experiment with a nitrogen addition experiment in a semi-arid grassland, we show that plant-GS difference among coexisting species is linked to their varied responses to environmental changes and consequently mediates community dynamics.