Testing a “genes-to-ecosystems” approach to understanding aquatic-terrestrial linkages

A ‘genes-to-ecosystems’ approach has been proposed as a novel avenue for integrating the consequences of intraspecific genetic variation with the underlying genetic architecture of a species in order to shed light on the relationships among hierarchies of ecological organization (genes [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] individuals [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] communities [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] ecosystems). However, attempts to identify genes with major effect on the structure of communities and/or ecosystem processes have been limited and a comprehensive test of this approach has yet to emerge. Here, we present an interdisciplinary field study that integrated a common garden containing different genotypes of a dominant, riparian tree, Populus trichocarpa, and aquatic mesocosms to determine how intraspecific variation in leaf litter alters both terrestrial and aquatic communities and ecosystem functioning. Moreover, we incorporate data from extensive trait screening and genome-wide association studies estimating the...