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Related Concept Videos

Genetic Drift03:33

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.However, realistic environmental conditions limit the number of...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

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High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression
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Published on: April 18, 2021

Environmentally induced phenotypic diversity drives population overyielding.

Michael Opoku Adomako1, James D Bever2, Bernhard Schmid3

  • 1School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang 312000, China.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|June 2, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Phenotypic diversity, whether genetic or environmental, can boost plant community productivity (overyielding). This study explores if environmental factors alone can drive overyielding, broadening biodiversity-ecosystem functioning insights.

Keywords:
biodiversity effectsbiodiversity–ecosystem functioningcomplementarityepigenetic variationniche partitioningpathogen dilution

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Plant Biology
  • Ecosystem Functioning

Background:

  • Genetically induced phenotypic diversity is known to enhance plant community productivity through mechanisms like resource partitioning.
  • Theoretically, phenotypic diversity generated by environmental factors within genetically uniform populations could also lead to overyielding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether environmentally induced phenotypic diversity can drive overyielding in plant communities.
  • To expand the understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships by testing a novel hypothesis.

Main Methods:

  • This study is theoretical and proposes future experimental designs.
  • Focuses on mechanisms such as resource partitioning, pathogen dilution, and abiotic stress alleviation.

Main Results:

  • Theoretically, environmentally induced phenotypic diversity can lead to overyielding.
  • This suggests that biodiversity-ecosystem functioning principles may apply beyond genetic diversity.

Conclusions:

  • Environmentally induced phenotypic diversity is a potential driver of overyielding.
  • This broadens the scope of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research to include environmental influences on phenotypic variation.