Plant functional diversity does not dilute virus infection, but community virus prevalence positively correlates with net C3 grass production
Data files
Jan 28, 2026 version files 765.25 KB
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biomass.data.csv
45.60 KB
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climate_data.csv
562.01 KB
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Precip_data.csv
1.07 KB
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README.md
4.52 KB
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virus.data.csv
152.06 KB
Abstract
Plant diversity in wild and agricultural plant communities has been shown to protect plant communities from pathogens, and the effects of many aspects of diversity (genetic diversity, species richness, evenness, and their combination) on plant pathogen epidemiology have been examined. Diversity among plant functional groups (e.g., grasses, legumes, and non-leguminous forbs) is known to reduce plant diseases in natural and agricultural plant communities. However, potential interactions among plant functional groups and their effects on plant virus infection dynamics have not been examined.
Insect-vectored plant virus infection dynamics may differ among distinct plant host functional types (C3 vs. C4) due to differences in their palatability to aphid vectors, and plant physiological responses to environmental factors.
Here, we evaluated the role of plant functional group diversity (richness and composition), and host functional type (three C3 and three C4 species), on plant virus infection in experimental annual plant communities that were inoculated with aphids carrying barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), a widespread and economically important generalist grass virus. We also assessed the relationships between community-level virus prevalence and the productivity of the total community (grasses + forbs+ legumes), as well as the component plant functional types.
In this study, virus infection was not mitigated or amplified by increasing functional group richness or altered functional group composition, nor did virus infection vary between C3 and C4 grasses. However, we found a positive correlation between community-level virus prevalence and C3 grass production (but not C4 production).
Synthesis. Our findings indicated that plant virus infection in grasses was not diluted by plant functional group diversity. However, we found a positive relationship between community-level virus prevalence and C3grass productivity. Together, these findings suggest that while plant diversity did not reduce the infection levels of a cryptic plant virus, mutualistic plant-virus interactions may contribute to enhanced ecosystem functioning via increased productivity.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.905qftv04
Description of the data and file structure
We evaluated the role of plant functional group diversity (richness and composition), and host functional type (three C3 and three C4 species), on plant virus infection in experimental annual plant communities that were inoculated with aphids carrying barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), a widespread and economically important generalist grass virus. We also assessed the relationships between community-level virus prevalence and the productivity of the total community (grasses + forbs+ legumes), as well as the component plant functional types.
Files and variables
File: biomass.data.csv
Description: This dataset contains the net aboveground production of each plant species within each experimental plot for each study year. Biomass was collected from plots that varied in plant functional group composition and richness. Each plot is nested within a block and was assigned a grass functional type (C3 or C4) and plant functional group diversity treatment.
Variables
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Year: Year in which the biomass was collected.
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Block: Experimental block in which the plot was located.
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Plot: Unique identifier for each experimental plot within a block.
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Species: Plant species name for which biomass was recorded.
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GrassType: Grass functional type present in the plot (C3 or C4).
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PlantType: Functional group to which the species belongs (e.g. grass, legume or forb).
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FuncDiversity: Functional diversity treatment (G, G+L, G+F, G+L+F) of the plot.
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planted_fg_richness: Number of plant functional groups planted in the plot.
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Biomass_grams.m2: Measured aboveground biomass of the species (g/m2).
File: virus.data.csv
Description: This dataset includes virus infection data for individual grass host samples collected from experimental plots differing in plant functional group diversity and grass host functional type. Each row represents a sample tested for barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV-PAV) infection status.
Variables
- Year: Year in which grass hosts were sampled for virus infection.
- Block: Experimental block in which the plot was located.
- Plot: Unique identifier for each experimental plot within a block.
- FunctionalDiversity: Functional diversity treatment (G, G+L, G+F, G+L+F) of the plot.
- GrassType: Grass functional type present in the plot (C3 or C4).
- Species: Plant species name that was sampled for BYDV-PAV infection.
- PAV_Infection: Binary infection status of the sample (0=uninfected, 1=infected with BYDV-PAV)
- fg_richness: Number of plant functional groups planted in the plot.
File: Precip_data.csv
Description: This dataset includes precipitation data in inches for the two years of this study, 2021 and 2022.
Variables
- Year: Year in which the precipitation data was recored.
- Month: Month in which the precipitation data was recored.
- MonthlySum_inches: Total monthly precipitation in inches.
- DepartureFromNormal: Precipitation difference in inches of total monthly precipitation from the normal average monthly precipitation from 1991 to 2020.
- PercentOfNormal: Precipitation percent of the normal average monthly precipitation from 1991 to 2020.
- Normal_1991to2020: The average monthly precipitation from 1991 to 2020.
File: climate_data.csv
Description: This dataset includes temperature, relative humidity and VPD data for the two years of this study, 2021 and 2022.
Variables
- year: Year in which the data was recored.
- date: Date (mm/dd/yy) in which the data was recored.
- month: Month in which the data was recored.
- date_num: Numeric date in which the data was recored.
- hour: Hour in which the data was recored (0-23h).
- Temp_c: Temperature in celcius.
- RH: Relative humidity in percent.
- VPD_kpa: Vapor Pressure Deficit in kilopascal.
- Prec: Precipitation in inches.
Code/software
The code is available on Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17561785 (Aguirre et al. 2025).
Code in written in R.
Access information
Precipitation and climate data from the Ithaca Airport Weather Station was requested and obtained from the Northeast Regional Climate Center.