Data from: Temperature-dependent species interactions shape priority effects and the persistence of unequal competitors

The order of species arrival at a site can determine the outcome of
competitive interactions when early arrivers alter the environment or
deplete shared resources. These priority effects are predicted to be
stronger at high temperatures, as higher vital rates caused by warming
allows early arrivers to more rapidly impact a shared environment. We
tested this prediction using a pair of congeneric aphid species that
specialize on milkweed plants. We manipulated temperature and arrival
order of the two aphid species, and measured aphid population dynamics and
milkweed survival and defensive traits. We found that warming increased
the impact of aphids on the quantity and quality of milkweed, which
amplified the importance of priority effects by increasing the competitive
exclusion of the inferior competitor when it arrived late. Warming also
enhanced interspecific differences in dispersal, which could alter
relative arrival times at a regional scale. Our experiment provides a
first link between temperature-dependent trophic interactions, priority
effects and dispersal. This study suggests that the indirect and cascading
effects of temperature observed here may be important determinants of
diversity in the temporally and spatially complex landscapes that
characterize ecological communities.