Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2022 Nov;37(11):997-1005. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.07.003. Epub 2022 Jul 30.
Intraspecific trait variation has tremendous importance for species interactions and community composition. A major source of intraspecific trait variation is an organism's developmental stage; however, timing is rarely considered in studies of the ecological effects of intraspecific variation. Here, we examine the role of time in the ecology of intraspecific trait variation, focusing on plants and their interactions with other organisms. Trait variation due to differences in developmental timing has unique features and dynamics, distinguishing it from variation due to genes or the environment. When time is considered in studies of intraspecific trait ecology, the degree of variability in timing within a population becomes a key factor structuring trait-mediated ecological interactions and community processes.
种内特质变异对于物种相互作用和群落组成具有重要意义。种内特质变异的一个主要来源是生物体的发育阶段；然而，在研究种内变异对生态的影响时，时间通常被忽略。在这里，我们探讨了时间在种内特质变异生态学中的作用，重点关注植物及其与其他生物的相互作用。由于发育时间的差异而导致的特质变异具有独特的特征和动态，这使其有别于由基因或环境导致的变异。当在研究种内特质生态学时考虑时间时，种群内时间变化的可变性程度成为构建特质介导的生态相互作用和群落过程的关键因素。
