Kin discrimination in plants: overview and implications for population and community ecology
- 1Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University 2‐509‐3, Hirano Otsu Shiga 520‐2113 Japan
Abstract
Following the discovery of identity discrimination, particularly self and kin discrimination amongst plant competitors, research on interplant interactions has advanced significantly within plant physiology and evolutionary ecology. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how both self and kin discrimination influence plant growth, resource allocation, defence, and reproduction. I highlight their ecological and evolutionary consequences for population dynamics, community structure, and multi‐trophic interactions. A key insight is that, under some circumstances, identity discrimination may shape the maintenance or erosion of genetic diversity by modulating competitive interactions and spatial genetic structure within populations. Finally, I present several open questions, such as how identity discrimination operates across gradients of plant competition and trophic levels, and propose a few testable hypotheses and experimental approaches regarding the role of competitive identity discrimination under natural settings.
Related
- The endocranial anatomy of ‘thoracosaur’ crocodyliforms: implications for their ecology and phylogenetic affinities
- Multi-population approach in seed germination ecology: evidence from Ranunculus ficaria
- Messy eaters and scavenger hunts: the community ecology of scavenging interactions in a rockpool ecosystem
- Population Ecology of Tunes
- Reptiles in the One Health ecology of antimicrobial resistance, with insights into zoonotic pathogens: reservoirs, transmission pathways, and public health implications
BibTeX
@article{yamawo2026discrimination,
title = {{Kin discrimination in plants: overview and implications for population and community ecology}},
author = {Akira Yamawo},
journal = {Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1002/brv.70194},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/brv.70194},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Kin discrimination in plants: overview and implications for population and community ecology
AU - Akira Yamawo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/18
JO - Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
DO - 10.1002/brv.70194
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/brv.70194
AB - Following the discovery of identity discrimination, particularly self and kin discrimination amongst plant competitors, research on interplant interactions has advanced significantly within plant physiology and evolutionary ecology. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how both self and kin discrimination influence plant growth, resource allocation, defence, and reproduction. I highlight their ecological and evolutionary consequences for population dynamics, community structure, and multi‐trophic interactions. A key insight is that, under some circumstances, identity discrimination may shape the maintenance or erosion of genetic diversity by modulating competitive interactions and spatial genetic structure within populations. Finally, I present several open questions, such as how identity discrimination operates across gradients of plant competition and trophic levels, and propose a few testable hypotheses and experimental approaches regarding the role of competitive identity discrimination under natural settings.
SN - 1464-7931
SN - 1469-185X
ER -