Data from: Spartina alterniflora genotypic identity affects plant and consumer responses in an experimental marsh community

Joseph Bay, FL to test how the strength and direction of neighbor and consumer interactions vary by plant genotype. 3. Consumer effects on Spartina were generally stronger and more variable than those of the plant neighborhood, and these effects were generally consistent across Spartina genotypes. However, genotype-specific variation in morphology, phenology, and palatability significantly influenced both consumer and neighbor responses to Spartina: the consumer Littoraria was more likely to climb palatable Spartina genotypes, and neighboring Juncus had shorter stems in the presence of highly productive Spartina genotypes. 4.

Synthesis. Our results add to the growing list of examples highlighting the role of intraspecific variation in species interactions, and suggest that variation in these interactions may promote the maintenance of plant genetic variation and community composition.

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Zerebeckietal_1-5 Zerebeckietal_1-5.zip contains 5 consecutively numbered csv files which contain the data presented in the manuscript and appendices.