Data from: Ecologically diverse and distinct neighbourhoods trigger persistent phenotypic consequences, and amine metabolic profiling detects them

1.Global change triggers rapid alterations in the composition and diversity of plant communities which may change ecosystem functioning. Do changes in community diversity also change traits persistently, i.e. does coexistence with numerous or functionally or phylogenetically distinct species trigger, in a given focal species, trait shifts that persist? 2.We studied the grass Dactylis glomerata. Dactylis was grown in experimental plots with different species compositions for five years, sampled, cloned and grown in a common garden. We studied amines, regulators integrating growth responses of organisms to their environment. 3.We found that the mean levels and variances of most amines depended on the diversity of the source community, notably the species richness and the phylogenetic and functional distinctness from Dactylis, unbiased by species identity or biomass shifts. 4.Synthesis. Our results suggest that different levels of ambient diversity can, within a few years, select for different genotypes which have different compositions of growth regulators. Our study also suggests that a plant species can evolve in response to the diversity or distinctness of the surrounding plant community. Evolutionary changes of plant phenotypes might mediate an impact of past biological diversity on present ecosystem functioning.

1. 全球变化（Global change）会快速引发植物群落组成与多样性的剧烈改变，进而可能改变生态系统功能。那么群落多样性的变化是否会持续改变物种性状？换言之，当某一目标物种（focal species）与大量物种、功能或系统发育（phylogenetic）分化的物种共存时，是否会触发并维持持续存在的性状偏移？
2. 本研究以禾本科植物鸭茅（Dactylis glomerata）为研究对象。将鸭茅种植于具有不同物种组成的实验样地中培养五年，随后进行采样、克隆，并在同质种植园（common garden）中培育。本研究关注的胺类（amines），是一类整合生物体对环境生长响应的调节物质。
3. 研究结果显示，绝大多数胺类的平均水平与变异程度均取决于其源群落（source community）的多样性，具体体现为物种丰富度以及与鸭茅之间的系统发育和功能分化程度，且不受物种身份（species identity）或生物量变化的干扰。
4. 综合分析表明，不同水平的环境群落多样性（ambient diversity）可在数年之内筛选出具有不同生长调节物质组成的不同基因型。本研究同时证实，植物物种可随周围植物群落的多样性或分化程度发生适应性进化。植物表型（phenotypes）的进化改变，可能会介导过往生物多样性对当前生态系统功能产生的影响。