Ecologists and land managers have become increasingly interested in understanding the links between population processes and ecosystem processes. Elucidating the mechanisms by which population and ecosystem processes are linked is fundamental to our ability to understand and manage judiciously Earth’s ecosystems. Plant phytochemistry is a fundamental driver of both population-level and ecosystem-level dynamics, influencing higher trophic levels and their impacts on nutrient dynamics. Plant phytochemistry varies dramatically in space and time, and that variation has important consequences for ecological systems. In this talk, I describe the concept of the “phytochemical landscape,” and suggest that it provides the nexus through which population processes and ecosystem processes are linked.
Results/Conclusions
The phytochemical landscape is based on the dazzling array of primary and secondary metabolites synthesized by the primary producers (e.g. land plants, algae, bacteria) of our aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including those that provide us with food and fiber. Because the phytochemical landscape is both a cause and a consequence of variation in trophic interactions and nutrient dynamics, it serves as the nexus through which powerful feedback loops link population and ecosystem processes. A focus on variation on the phytochemical landscape provides a more mechanistic approach to studying diversity effects than does an emphasis on taxonomic diversity. Analysis suggests that measuring and mapping variation on the phytochemical landscape will help to advance ecological theory while contributing to the management of our food and fiber resources.