Data from: Genotypic variation in plant traits shapes herbivorous insect and ant communities on a foundation tree species

Community genetics aims to understand the effects of intraspecific genetic
variation on community composition and diversity, thereby connecting
community ecology with evolutionary biology. Multiple studies have shown
that different plant genotypes harbor different communities of associated
organisms, such as insects. Yet, the mechanistic links that tie insect
community composition to plant genetics are still not well understood. To
shed light on these relationships, we explored variation in both plant
traits (e.g., growth, phenology, defense) and herbivorous insect and ant
communities on 328 replicated aspen (Populus tremuloides) genets grown in
a common garden. We measured traits and visually surveyed insect
communities annually in 2014 and 2015. We found that insect communities
overall exhibited low heritability and were shaped primarily by
relationships among key insects (i.e., aphids, ants, and free-feeders).
Several tree traits affected insect communities and the presence/absence
of species and functional groups. Of these traits, tree size and foliar
phenology were the most important. Larger trees had more dense and diverse
insect communities, while timing of bud break and bud set differentially
influenced particular species and insect groups, especially leaf modifying
insects. These findings lay the groundwork for future work that will
identify plant genes and genetic regions that underlie the structure of
associated insect communities.