Priority effects persists across floral generations in nectar microbial metacommunities

In a system involving floral nectar bacteria and yeasts on the sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus), we experimentally manipulated the order of species arrival and then examined how initial dominance in local communities persists within a metacommunity. The experimental introduction of cultured Gluconobacter bacteria or Metschnikowia yeasts into wild Mimulus individuals demonstrated that the effects of initial dominance were observable even after multiple turnovers of host flowers. We also found that there was asymmetry in the strength of priority effects between Gluconobacter bacteria and Metschnikowia yeasts. Moreover, our data suggested that signals of priority effects were observable in some but not all phases of temporal metacommunity processes. Overall, This study demonstrated that priority effects could be transmitted across ephemeral local communities through time in the dynamics of metacommunities.