Eco-evolutionary dynamics between multiple competitors reduce phytoplankton coexistence but have limited impacts on community productivity

Species can evolve rapidly in response to competition but how evolution within communities affects community properties is unclear. Niche theory predicts that species should evolve to use different resources, increasing coexistence and community productivity. However, recent experiments suggest that species might instead evolve their competitive ability, particularly when competing for essential resources. To test the consequences of species evolution on community properties, we grew three species of marine phytoplankton in monoculture (alone) or polyculture (together) for 4.5 months. We then combined them in communities based on their competition history and tracked community composition and productivity over time. We found that species dominance was unaffected, but coexistence was reduced when species evolved together (polyculture isolates). These species-level changes did not affect community functions equally. Total biovolume growth rates and carrying capacity were the same between communities of monoculture or polyculture isolates but the latter had greater oxygen fluxes during the exponential phase. Our results suggest that evolution within communities can strengthen competitive differences between species with uneven effects on community functioning. While some community properties seem robust to species evolutionary changes, we should be cautious in extrapolating the consequences of evolution from community biomass to other aspects of productivity or stability.