Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant
Date
2021-08-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait
variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived
plants, reproductive
traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas
vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term
perturbations.
Combining a multi-treatment
greenhouse experiment with observational field
data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived
herb, Plantago lanceolata,
we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of
environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity
shape observational trait–environment
relationships. Reproductive traits showed
distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but
only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed
higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic
component underlying field-observed
trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic
differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits
most closely related to fitness.
Description
Publication history: Accepted - 19 May 2021; Published - 5 August 2021.
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Article
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Keywords
biomass, common garden experiment, countergradient variation, fecundity, genotype by environment interaction, intraspecific trait variation, observational datasets, root, shoot ratio, specific leaf area, widespread species
Citation
Villellas, J., Ehrlén, J., Crone, E. E., Csergő, A. M., Garcia, M. B., Laine, A., Roach, D. A., Salguero‐Gómez, R., Wardle, G. M., Childs, D. Z., Elderd, B. D., Finn, A., Munné‐Bosch, S., Bachelot, B., Bódis, J., Bucharova, A., Caruso, C. M., Catford, J. A., Coghill, M., Compagnoni, A., Duncan, R. P., Dwyer, J. M., Ferguson, A., Fraser, L. H., Griffoul, E., Groenteman, R., Hamre, L. N., Helm, A., Kelly, R., Laanisto, L., Lonati, M., Münzbergová, Z., Nuche, P., Olsen, S. L., Oprea, A., Pärtel, M., Petry, W. K., Ramula, S., Rasmussen, P. U., Enri, S. R., Roeder, A., Roscher, C., Schultz, C., Skarpaas, O., Smith, A. L., Tack, A. J. M., Töpper, J. P., Vesk, P. A., Vose, G. E., Wandrag, E., Wingler, A. and Buckley, Y. M. (2021) ‘PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY MASKS RANGE‐WIDE GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION FOR VEGETATIVE BUT NOT REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS IN A SHORT‐LIVED PLANT’, Ecology Letters. Edited by C. Violle. doi: 10.1111/ele.13858.