Community and Ecosystem Ecology Group

	The Community and Ecosystem Genetics Group The University of Tennessee

People	Projects	Publications	Broad Impacts and Outreach	Teaching	Prospective Students	Facilities

	Introduced Herbivores in Aspen Forests of Northern Arizona Our work in Aspen montane forests of northern Arizona have focused on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the interaction of fire and an introduced herbivore (elk). While fire promotes aspen regeneration, herbivory by elk virtually eliminates these young aspen, negatively affecting arthropod and bird diversity, food web structure, soil nutrient availability, microbial community composition, enzyme function. There are also cultural consequences of this herbivory in that elk alter plant community composition including ethnobotanical species. Stritar, M., J.A. Schweitzer, S.C. Hart, and J.K. Bailey. Introduced Mammalian Herbivore Disrupts Ecosystem Function in Aspen Forests Along a Fire Chronosequence. Bailey, J.K., D.J. Irschick, J.A. Schweitzer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, and T.G. Whitham. 2007. Selective herbivory by elk results in rapid shifts in the chemical composition of aspen forests. Biological Invasions 9:715-722. see Cover Photo. Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Biodiversity is related to indirect interactions among species of large effect. In Indirect Interaction Webs: Nontrophic Linkages Through Induced Plant Traits (T. Ohgushi, T. Craig, and P.W. Price, eds.). Cambridge University Press, UK (pdf) Gitlin, A.R., Sthultz, C.M., Bowker, M. A. et al. 2006. Mortality gradients within and among dominant plant populations as barometers of ecosystem change during extreme drought. Conservation Biology 20: 1477-1486. Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2003. Interactions among fire, elk, aspen, galling sawflies and insectivorous birds. Oikos 101: 127-134. Bailey, J.K., and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Interactions among fire, aspen and elk affect insect biodiversity: Reversal of a community response Ecology 83:1701-1712.
	Community and Ecosystem Genetics in Eucalyptus We work internationally in Eucalyptus globulus forests of Australia. Our research was focused on the additive genetic basis of arthropod community composition and soil nutrient availability. Using a world class provenance experimental design, arthropod community composition and soil nutrient availability was affected at two genetic levels: family and provenance. These results indicate that plant traits and their interactions with microbes which affect soil nutrient availability can be acted on by natural selection. They also suggest that evolutionary processes that resulted in population level differentiation of Eucalyptus globulus also have altered how those populations may acquire nutrients. Barbour, R.C., D.W. De Little, J.M. O'Reilly-Wapstra, G.J. Jordan, D.A. Steane, J.R. Humphreys, J.K. Bailey, T.G. Whitham, B.M. Potts. 2008. Genetic similarity and hierarchical structure within a foundation tree species drives dependent community variation. Ecology (in revision)
	Community and Ecosystem Genetics in Populus Work in Populus has been very diverse. From microbes to mammals, plant genetic factors have a strong effect on the structure of these systems. Much of our more recent work in these systems has focused on the genetic and environmental factors which affect community and ecosystem level processes. Schweitzer, J.A., M. D. Madritch, J. K. Bailey, C.J. LeRoy, D.G. Fischer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, T.G. Whitham. Review - Ecological impacts of foliar condensed tannins: a genes-to-ecosystem approach. Ecosystems (in press) Whitham, T.G. S.P. DiFazio, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, G.J. Allen, J.K. Bailey, S.A. Woolbright. 2008. Extending Genomics to Natural Communities and Ecosystems. Science 320: 492-495. Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, D.G. Fischer, C.J. LeRoy, E.V. Lonsdorf, T.G. Whitham, and S.C. Hart. Soil Microorganism-Plant Interactions; Heritable relationship between plant genotype and associated microorgansims. Ecology 89:773-781. Bangert, R.K., E.V. Lonsdorf, G.M. Wimp, S.M. Shuster, D. Fischer, J.A. Schweitzer, G.J. Allan, J.K. Bailey, and T.G. Whitham. (2008) Genetic structure of a foundation species: scaling community phenotypes from the individual to the region. Heredity 1-11. Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, R.K. Bangert, S.C. Hart and T.G. Whitham. 2007. The role of plant genetic variation in determining above- and belowground microbial communities. In M.J. Bailey, A.K. Lilley, T.M. Timms-Wilson & P.T.N. Spencer-Phillips. Microbial Ecology of aerial plant surfaces. CABI Publishing. Irschick, D., J. K. Bailey, J. A. Schweitzer, J. F. Husak, and J. Meyers. 2007. New directions for studying selection in nature; studies of performance and communities. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (in press). see Cover Photo. Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Biodiversity is related to indirect interactions among species of large effect. In Indirect Interaction Webs: Nontrophic Linkages Through Induced Plant Traits (T. Ohgushi, T. Craig, and P.W. Price, eds.). Cambridge University Press, UK (pdf). Bangert, R.K., R.J. Turek, B. Rehill, G.J. Allan, G.M. Wimp, J.A. Schweitzer, J.K. Bailey, G.D. Martinsen, P. Keim, R.L. Lindroth, and T.G. Whitham. 2006. A genetic similarity rule determines arthropod community structure. Molecular Ecology 15:1379-1392. Gitlin, A.R., Sthultz, C.M., Bowker, M. A. et al. 2006. Mortality gradients within and among dominant plant populations as barometers of ecosystem change during extreme drought. Conservation Biology 20: 1477-1486. Rehill, B., T.G. Whitham, G.D. Martinsen, J.A. Schweitzer, J.K. Bailey, and R.L. Lindroth. Developmental trajectories in cottonwood phytochemistry. Journal Of Chemical Ecology 32:2269-2285. Shuster, S.M., E.V. Lonsdorf, G.M. Wimp, J.K. Bailey, and, T.G. Whitham. 2006. Community heritability measures the evolutionary consequences of indirect genetic effects on community structure. Evolution 60:991-1003. Whitham, T.G., J.K. Bailey, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, R.K. Bangert, C.J. LeRoy, E. Lonsdorf, G.J. Allan, S.P. DiFazio, B.M. Potts, D.G. Fischer, C.A.Gehring, R.L. Lindroth, J. Marks, S.C. Hart, G.M. Wimp and S.C. Wooley. 2006. A framework for community and ecosystem genetics: From genes to ecosystems. Nature Reviews Genetics 7:510-523. Bailey, J. K., Wooley, S. C., Lindroth, R. L. & Whitham, T. G. 2006. Importance of species interactions to community heritability: A genetic basis to trophic-level interactions. Ecology Letters 9:78-85. Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Indirect trait-mediated interactions between cottonwoods and beavers positively affect sawfly abundance. Ecological Entomology 31:294-297. Chapman, S.C., J.A. Schweitzer and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Herbivory differentially alters plant litter dynamics of evergreen and deciduous trees: the importance of “afterlife” effects. Oikos 114:566-574. Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, S.C. Hart and T.G. Whitham. 2005. Non-additive effects of mixing cottonwood genotypes on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics. Ecology 86:2834-2840. Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, S.C. Hart, G.M. Wimp, S.C. Chapman and T.G. Whitham. 2005. The interaction of plant genotype and herbivory decelerate leaf litter decomposition and alters nutrient dynamics. Oikos 110:133-145. Whitham, T.G., E. Lonsdorf, J. A. Schweitzer, J. K. Bailey, D. G. Fischer, S. M. Shuster, R. L. Lindroth, S. C. Hart, G. J. Allan, C. A. Gehring, P. Keim, B. M. Potts, J. Marks, B. J. Rehill, S. P. DiFazio, C. J. LeRoy, G. M. Wimp, and S. Woolbright. 2005. “All effects of a gene on the world”: extended phenotypes, feedbacks and multi-level selection. Ecoscience 12:5-7. Forum Bailey, J. K., R. Deckert, J. A. Schweitzer, B. J. Rehill, R. L. Lindroth, C. Gehring, and T. G. Whitham. 2005. Host plant genetics affect hidden ecological players: Links among Populus, condensed tannins and fungal endophyte infection. Canadian Journal of Botany 83, 356-361. Bangert, R.K., R.J. Turek, G.D. Martinsen, G.M. Wimp, J.K. Bailey, and T.G. Whitham. 2005. Benefits of conservation of plant genetic diversity on arthropod diversity. Conservation Biology 19:379-390. Bailey, J.K., R.K. Bangert, J.A. Schweitzer, R.T. Trotter III, S.M. Shuster, and T.G. Whitham. 2004. Fractal geometry is heritable in trees. Evolution 58:2100-2102. Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, G.D. Martinsen, and T.G. Whitham. 2004. Beavers as molecular geneticists: A genetic basis to the foraging of an ecosystem engineer. Ecology 85:603-608. Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, B.J. Rehill, S.C. Hart, R.L. Lindroth, P. Keim and T.G. Whitham. Genetically based trait in dominant tree affects ecosystem processes. 2004. Ecology Letters 7:127-134. Whitham, T.G., W.P. Young, G.D. Martinsen, C.A. Gehring, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, G.M. Wimp, D.G. Fischer, J.K. Bailey, R.L. Lindroth, S. Woolbright, and C.R. Kuske. 2003. Community and ecosystem genetics: A consequence of the extended phenotype. Ecology 84:559-573. Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, M.M. Howe, D.G. Martinsen, and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Interactions among beaver, exotic tree species, and aquatic macroinvertebrates: Links between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Pages 180-188 in Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, 25-28 February 2002, Alexandria, VA. The Professional Edge, Pembroke, ON. Whitham, T.G., and J.A. Schweitzer. 2002. Leaves as islands of spatial and temporal variation: consequences for plant herbivores, pathogens, communities and ecosystems. Pages 279-298 in Phyllosphere Microbiology (S.E. Lindow, E.I. Hecht-Poinar, and V.J. Elliott, eds.). APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Schweitzer, J.A., G.D. Martinsen and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Cottonwood hybrids gain fitness traits of both parents: a mechanism for their long-term persistence? Am. Journal of Bot. 89:981-990. Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, and T.G. Whitham. 2001. Invasion by salt cedar in the southwestern U.S.A. negatively affects biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate community. Wetlands 21:442-447.
	Salt Cedar Alter Terrestrial Aquatic Linkages Tamarisk (salt cedar) is a widespread invasive species across the western United States. Our research has focused primarily on the role of beaver herbivory in promoting the distribution of this exotic species and the consequences of tamarisk litter on stream macroinvertebrates. Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, M.M. Howe, D.G. Martinsen, and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Interactions among beaver, exotic tree species, and aquatic macroinvertebrates: Links between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Pages 180-188 in Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, 25-28 February 2002, Alexandria, VA. The Professional Edge, Pembroke, ON. Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, and T.G. Whitham. 2001. Invasion by salt cedar in the southwestern U.S.A. negatively affects biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate community. Wetlands 21:442-447.
	Tulip Poplar (Coming Soon)
	Solidago (Coming Soon) Crutsinger, G.M., Habenicht, M.N., Classen, A.T., Schweitzer, J.A., N.J. Sanders. (2008) Galling by Rhopalomyia solidaginis alters Solidago altissima architecture and litter nutrient dynamics in an old-field ecosystem. Plant and Soil. DOI 10.1007/s11104-007-9490-3

Community and Ecosystem Genetics in Populus

Work in Populus has been very diverse. From microbes to mammals, plant genetic factors have a strong effect on the structure of these systems. Much of our more recent work in these systems has focused on the genetic and environmental factors which affect community and ecosystem level processes.

Schweitzer, J.A., M. D. Madritch, J. K. Bailey, C.J. LeRoy, D.G. Fischer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, T.G. Whitham. Review - Ecological impacts of foliar condensed tannins: a genes-to-ecosystem approach. Ecosystems (in press)

Whitham, T.G. S.P. DiFazio, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, G.J. Allen, J.K. Bailey, S.A. Woolbright. 2008. Extending Genomics to Natural Communities and Ecosystems. Science 320: 492-495.

Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, D.G. Fischer, C.J. LeRoy, E.V. Lonsdorf, T.G. Whitham, and S.C. Hart. Soil Microorganism-Plant Interactions; Heritable relationship between plant genotype and associated microorgansims. Ecology 89:773-781.

Bangert, R.K., E.V. Lonsdorf, G.M. Wimp, S.M. Shuster, D. Fischer, J.A. Schweitzer, G.J. Allan, J.K. Bailey, and T.G. Whitham. (2008) Genetic structure of a foundation species: scaling community phenotypes from the individual to the region. Heredity 1-11.

Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, R.K. Bangert, S.C. Hart and T.G. Whitham. 2007. The role of plant genetic variation in determining above- and belowground microbial communities. In M.J. Bailey, A.K. Lilley, T.M. Timms-Wilson & P.T.N. Spencer-Phillips. Microbial Ecology of aerial plant surfaces. CABI Publishing.

Irschick, D., J. K. Bailey, J. A. Schweitzer, J. F. Husak, and J. Meyers. 2007. New directions for studying selection in nature; studies of performance and communities. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (in press). see Cover Photo.

Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Biodiversity is related to indirect interactions among species of large effect. In Indirect Interaction Webs: Nontrophic Linkages Through Induced Plant Traits (T. Ohgushi, T. Craig, and P.W. Price, eds.). Cambridge University Press, UK (pdf).

Bangert, R.K., R.J. Turek, B. Rehill, G.J. Allan, G.M. Wimp, J.A. Schweitzer, J.K. Bailey, G.D. Martinsen, P. Keim, R.L. Lindroth, and T.G. Whitham. 2006. A genetic similarity rule determines arthropod community structure. Molecular Ecology 15:1379-1392.

Gitlin, A.R., Sthultz, C.M., Bowker, M. A. et al. 2006. Mortality gradients within and among dominant plant populations as barometers of ecosystem change during extreme drought. Conservation Biology 20: 1477-1486.

Rehill, B., T.G. Whitham, G.D. Martinsen, J.A. Schweitzer, J.K. Bailey, and R.L. Lindroth. Developmental trajectories in cottonwood phytochemistry. Journal Of Chemical Ecology 32:2269-2285.

Shuster, S.M., E.V. Lonsdorf, G.M. Wimp, J.K. Bailey, and, T.G. Whitham. 2006. Community heritability measures the evolutionary consequences of indirect genetic effects on community structure. Evolution 60:991-1003.

Whitham, T.G., J.K. Bailey, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, R.K. Bangert, C.J. LeRoy, E. Lonsdorf, G.J. Allan, S.P. DiFazio, B.M. Potts, D.G. Fischer, C.A.Gehring, R.L. Lindroth, J. Marks, S.C. Hart, G.M. Wimp and S.C. Wooley. 2006. A framework for community and ecosystem genetics: From genes to ecosystems. Nature Reviews Genetics 7:510-523.

Bailey, J. K., Wooley, S. C., Lindroth, R. L. & Whitham, T. G. 2006. Importance of species interactions to community heritability: A genetic basis to trophic-level interactions. Ecology Letters 9:78-85.

Bailey, J.K. and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Indirect trait-mediated interactions between cottonwoods and beavers positively affect sawfly abundance. Ecological Entomology 31:294-297.

Chapman, S.C., J.A. Schweitzer and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Herbivory differentially alters plant litter dynamics of evergreen and deciduous trees: the importance of “afterlife” effects. Oikos 114:566-574.

Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, S.C. Hart and T.G. Whitham. 2005. Non-additive effects of mixing cottonwood genotypes on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics. Ecology 86:2834-2840.

Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, S.C. Hart, G.M. Wimp, S.C. Chapman and T.G. Whitham. 2005. The interaction of plant genotype and herbivory decelerate leaf litter decomposition and alters nutrient dynamics. Oikos 110:133-145.

Whitham, T.G., E. Lonsdorf, J. A. Schweitzer, J. K. Bailey, D. G. Fischer, S. M. Shuster, R. L. Lindroth, S. C. Hart, G. J. Allan, C. A. Gehring, P. Keim, B. M. Potts, J. Marks, B. J. Rehill, S. P. DiFazio, C. J. LeRoy, G. M. Wimp, and S. Woolbright. 2005. “All effects of a gene on the world”: extended phenotypes, feedbacks and multi-level selection. Ecoscience 12:5-7. Forum

Bailey, J. K., R. Deckert, J. A. Schweitzer, B. J. Rehill, R. L. Lindroth, C. Gehring, and T. G. Whitham. 2005. Host plant genetics affect hidden ecological players: Links among Populus, condensed tannins and fungal endophyte infection. Canadian Journal of Botany 83, 356-361.

Bangert, R.K., R.J. Turek, G.D. Martinsen, G.M. Wimp, J.K. Bailey, and T.G. Whitham. 2005. Benefits of conservation of plant genetic diversity on arthropod diversity. Conservation Biology 19:379-390.

Bailey, J.K., R.K. Bangert, J.A. Schweitzer, R.T. Trotter III, S.M. Shuster, and T.G. Whitham. 2004. Fractal geometry is heritable in trees. Evolution 58:2100-2102.

Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, G.D. Martinsen, and T.G. Whitham. 2004. Beavers as molecular geneticists: A genetic basis to the foraging of an ecosystem engineer. Ecology 85:603-608.

Schweitzer, J.A., J.K. Bailey, B.J. Rehill, S.C. Hart, R.L. Lindroth, P. Keim and T.G. Whitham. Genetically based trait in dominant tree affects ecosystem processes. 2004. Ecology Letters 7:127-134.

Whitham, T.G., W.P. Young, G.D. Martinsen, C.A. Gehring, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, G.M. Wimp, D.G. Fischer, J.K. Bailey, R.L. Lindroth, S. Woolbright, and C.R. Kuske. 2003. Community and ecosystem genetics: A consequence of the extended phenotype. Ecology 84:559-573.

Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, M.M. Howe, D.G. Martinsen, and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Interactions among beaver, exotic tree species, and aquatic macroinvertebrates: Links between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Pages 180-188 in Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, 25-28 February 2002, Alexandria, VA. The Professional Edge, Pembroke, ON.

Whitham, T.G., and J.A. Schweitzer. 2002. Leaves as islands of spatial and temporal variation: consequences for plant herbivores, pathogens, communities and ecosystems. Pages 279-298 in Phyllosphere Microbiology (S.E. Lindow, E.I. Hecht-Poinar, and V.J. Elliott, eds.). APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Schweitzer, J.A., G.D. Martinsen and T.G. Whitham. 2002. Cottonwood hybrids gain fitness traits of both parents: a mechanism for their long-term persistence? Am. Journal of Bot. 89:981-990.

Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, and T.G. Whitham. 2001. Invasion by salt cedar in the southwestern U.S.A. negatively affects biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate community. Wetlands 21:442-447.