Aphid herbivory on macrophytes drives adaptive evolution in an aquatic community via indirect effects.

ABSTRACT: Indirect ecological effects occur when the impact of one species on another is mediated by a third species or the shared environment. Although indirect effects are ubiquitous in nature, we know remarkably little about how they may drive ecoevolutionary processes across community boundaries. Here, we show that insect (aphid) herbivory on macrophytes (duckweed) drove the adaptive evolution of a planktonic crustacean (Daphnia magna) in large outdoor aquatic mesocosms via indirect ecological effects. Aphid herbivory reduced duckweed growth and increased the nutrient and light availability in the water column, which promoted phytoplankton growth and boosted the abundance of D. magna that feed on phytoplankton. Whole-genome pool-sequencing and phenotypic assays revealed aphid-herbi

SUBMITTER: Schafer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12403121 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature