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Branch HA, Moxley DR, Angert AL. Regional differences in leaf evolution facilitate photosynthesis following severe drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:2457-2469. [PMID: 39021265 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing physiological and anatomical changes that underlie rapid evolution following climatic perturbation can broaden our understanding of how climate change is affecting biodiversity. It can also provide evidence of cryptic adaptation despite stasis at higher levels of biological organization. Here, we compared evolutionary changes in populations of Mimulus cardinalis from historically different climates in the north and south of the species' range following an exceptional drought. We grew seeds produced from predrought ancestral plants alongside peak-drought descendants in a common glasshouse and exposed them to wet and dry conditions. Before the drought, northern ancestral populations expressed traits contributing to drought escape, while southern ancestral populations expressed drought avoidance. Following the drought, both regions evolved to reduce water loss and maintain photosynthesis in dry treatments (drought avoidance), but via different anatomical alterations in stomata, trichomes, and palisade mesophyll. Additionally, southern populations lost the ability to take advantage of wet conditions. These results reveal rapid evolution towards drought avoidance at an anatomical level following an exceptional drought, but suggest that differences in the mechanisms between regions incur different trade-offs. This sheds light on the importance of characterizing underlying mechanisms for downstream life-history and macromorphological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley A Branch
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Dylan R Moxley
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Amy L Angert
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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2
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Wilson RN, Kopp CW, Hille Ris Lambers J, Angert AL. Fire sparks upslope range shifts of North Cascades plant species. Ecology 2024; 105:e4242. [PMID: 38272470 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
As ongoing climate change drives suitable habitats to higher elevations, species ranges are predicted to follow. However, observed range shifts have been surprisingly variable, with most species differing in rates of upward shift and others failing to shift at all. Disturbances such as fires could play an important role in accelerating range shifts by facilitating recruitment in newly suitable habitats (leading edges) and removing adults from areas no longer suited for regeneration (trailing edges). To date, empirical evidence that fires interact with climate change to mediate elevational range shifts is scarce. Resurveying historical plots in areas that experienced climate change and fire disturbance between surveys provides an exciting opportunity to fill this gap. To investigate whether species have tended to shift upslope and if shifts depend on fires, we resurveyed historical vegetation plots in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA, an area that has experienced warming, drying, and multiple fires since the original surveys in 1983. We quantified range shifts by synthesizing across two lines of evidence: (1) displacement at range edges and the median elevation of species occurrences, and (2) support for the inclusion of interactions among time, fire and elevation in models of species presence with elevation. Among species that experienced fire since the original survey, a plurality expanded into new habitats at their upper edge. In contrast, a plurality of species not experiencing fire showed no evidence of shifts, with the remainder exhibiting responses that were variable in magnitude and direction. Our results suggest that fires can facilitate recruitment at leading edges, while species in areas free of disturbance are more likely to experience stasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel N Wilson
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher W Kopp
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Janneke Hille Ris Lambers
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Amy L Angert
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Christie K, Pierson NR, Holeski LM, Lowry DB. Resurrected seeds from herbarium specimens reveal rapid evolution of drought resistance in a selfing annual. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16265. [PMID: 38102863 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Increased aridity and drought associated with climate change are exerting unprecedented selection pressures on plant populations. Whether populations can rapidly adapt, and which life history traits might confer increased fitness under drought, remain outstanding questions. METHODS We utilized a resurrection ecology approach, leveraging dormant seeds from herbarium collections to assess whether populations of Plantago patagonica from the semi-arid Colorado Plateau have rapidly evolved in response to approximately ten years of intense drought in the region. We quantified multiple traits associated with drought escape and drought resistance and assessed the survival of ancestors and descendants under simulated drought. RESULTS Descendant populations displayed a significant shift in resource allocation, in which they invested less in reproductive tissues and relatively more in both above- and below-ground vegetative tissues. Plants with greater leaf biomass survived longer under terminal drought; moreover, even after accounting for the effect of increased leaf biomass, descendant seedlings survived drought longer than their ancestors. CONCLUSIONS Our results document rapid adaptive evolution in response to climate change in a selfing annual and suggest that shifts in tissue allocation strategies may underlie adaptive responses to drought in arid or semi-arid environments. This work also illustrates a novel approach, documenting that under specific circumstances, seeds from herbarium specimens may provide an untapped source of dormant propagules for future resurrection experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Christie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
| | - Natalie R Pierson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Liza M Holeski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Center for Adaptive Western Landscapes, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - David B Lowry
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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4
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Poyatos C, Sacristán-Bajo S, Tabarés P, Prieto-Benítez S, Teso MLR, Torres E, Morente-López J, Lara-Romero C, Iriondo JM, Fernández AG. Differential patterns of within- and between-population genetically based trait variation in Lupinus angustifolius. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:541-552. [PMID: 37647862 PMCID: PMC10667004 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Within-population genetic and phenotypic variation play a key role in the development of adaptive responses to environmental change. Between-population variation is also an essential element in assessing the evolutionary potential of species in response to changes in environmental conditions. In this context, common garden experiments are a useful tool to separate the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation. We aimed to assess within- and between-population phenotypic variation of Lupinus angustifolius L. in terms of its evolutionary potential to adapt to ongoing climate change. METHODS We evaluated populations' phenotypic variation of foliar, phenological and reproductive traits with a common garden experiment. Patterns of functional trait variation were assessed with (1) mixed model analyses and coefficients of variation (CVs) with confidence intervals, (2) principal component analyses (PCAs) and (3) correlations between pairs of traits. Analyses were performed at the population level (four populations) and at the latitude level (grouping pairs of populations located in two latitudinal ranges). KEY RESULTS Phenotypic variation had a significant genetic component associated with a latitudinal pattern. (1) Mixed models found lower specific leaf area, advanced flowering phenology and lower seed production of heavier seeds in southern populations, whereas CV analyses showed lower within-latitude variation especially in phenological and reproductive traits in southern populations. (2) PCAs showed a clearer differentiation of phenotypic variation between latitudes than between populations. (3) Correlation analyses showed a greater number of significant correlations between traits in southern populations (25 vs. 13). CONCLUSIONS Between-population phenotypic variation was determined by contrasting temperature and drought at different latitude and elevation. Southern populations had differential trait values compatible with adaptations to high temperatures and drought. Moreover, they had lower within-population variation and a greater number of trait correlations probably as a result of these limiting conditions, making them more vulnerable to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Poyatos
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Sacristán-Bajo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Tabarés
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María Luisa Rubio Teso
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Torres
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro 2-4, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Morente-López
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución en Islas, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carlos Lara-Romero
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Iriondo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo García- Fernández
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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Martínez-Vilalta J, García-Valdés R, Jump A, Vilà-Cabrera A, Mencuccini M. Accounting for trait variability and coordination in predictions of drought-induced range shifts in woody plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:23-40. [PMID: 37501525 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits offer a promising avenue to improve predictions of species range shifts under climate change, which will entail warmer and often drier conditions. Although the conceptual foundation linking traits with plant performance and range shifts appears solid, the predictive ability of individual traits remains generally low. In this review, we address this apparent paradox, emphasizing examples of woody plants and traits associated with drought responses at the species' rear edge. Low predictive ability reflects the fact not only that range dynamics tend to be complex and multifactorial, as well as uncertainty in the identification of relevant traits and limited data availability, but also that trait effects are scale- and context-dependent. The latter results from the complex interactions among traits (e.g. compensatory effects) and between them and the environment (e.g. exposure), which ultimately determine persistence and colonization capacity. To confront this complexity, a more balanced coverage of the main functional dimensions involved (stress tolerance, resource use, regeneration and dispersal) is needed, and modelling approaches must be developed that explicitly account for: trait coordination in a hierarchical context; trait variability in space and time and its relationship with exposure; and the effect of biotic interactions in an ecological community context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), E25280, Solsona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, E28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alistair Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E08010, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Benning JW, Faulkner A, Moeller DA. Rapid evolution during climate change: demographic and genetic constraints on adaptation to severe drought. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230336. [PMID: 37161337 PMCID: PMC10170215 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations often vary in their evolutionary responses to a shared environmental perturbation. A key hurdle in building more predictive models of rapid evolution is understanding this variation-why do some populations and traits evolve while others do not? We combined long-term demographic and environmental data, estimates of quantitative genetic variance components, a resurrection experiment and individual-based evolutionary simulations to gain mechanistic insights into contrasting evolutionary responses to a severe multi-year drought. We examined five traits in two populations of a native California plant, Clarkia xantiana, at three time points over 7 years. Earlier flowering phenology evolved in only one of the two populations, though both populations experienced similar drought severity and demographic declines and were estimated to have considerable additive genetic variance for flowering phenology. Pairing demographic and experimental data with evolutionary simulations suggested that while seed banks in both populations probably constrained evolutionary responses, a stronger seed bank in the non-evolving population resulted in evolutionary stasis. Gene flow through time via germ banks may be an important, underappreciated control on rapid evolution in response to extreme environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Benning
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexai Faulkner
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - David A. Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
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7
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Lin PA, Kansman J, Chuang WP, Robert C, Erb M, Felton GW. Water availability and plant-herbivore interactions. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:2811-2828. [PMID: 36477789 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Water is essential to plant growth and drives plant evolution and interactions with other organisms such as herbivores. However, water availability fluctuates, and these fluctuations are intensified by climate change. How plant water availability influences plant-herbivore interactions in the future is an important question in basic and applied ecology. Here we summarize and synthesize the recent discoveries on the impact of water availability on plant antiherbivore defense ecology and the underlying physiological processes. Water deficit tends to enhance plant resistance and escape traits (i.e. early phenology) against herbivory but negatively affects other defense strategies, including indirect defense and tolerance. However, exceptions are sometimes observed in specific plant-herbivore species pairs. We discuss the effect of water availability on species interactions associated with plants and herbivores from individual to community levels and how these interactions drive plant evolution. Although water stress and many other abiotic stresses are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change, we identify a significant lack of study on the interactive impact of additional abiotic stressors on water-plant-herbivore interactions. This review summarizes critical knowledge gaps and informs possible future research directions in water-plant-herbivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-An Lin
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jessica Kansman
- Department of Entomology, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Wen-Po Chuang
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Matthias Erb
- Institute of Plant Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gary W Felton
- Department of Entomology, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Love SJ, Schweitzer JA, Bailey JK. Climate-driven convergent evolution in riparian ecosystems on sky islands. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2817. [PMID: 36797341 PMCID: PMC9935884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29564-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate-induced evolution will determine population persistence in a changing world. However, finding natural systems in which to study these responses has been a barrier to estimating the impact of global change on a broad scale. We propose that isolated sky islands (SI) and adjacent mountain chains (MC) are natural laboratories for studying long-term and contemporary climatic pressures on natural populations. We used greenhouse common garden trees to test whether populations on SI exposed to hot and dry climates since the end of the Pleistocene have phenotypically diverged from populations on MC, and if SI populations have converged in these traits. We show: (1) populations of Populus angustifolia from SI have diverged from MC, and converged across SI, in reproductive and productivity traits, (2) these traits (cloning and aboveground biomass, respectively) are significantly correlated, suggesting a genetic linkage between them, and (3) the trait variation is driven by both natural selection and genetic drift. These shifts represent potentially beneficial phenotypes for population persistence in a changing world. These results suggest that the SI-MC comparison is a natural laboratory, as well as a predictive framework, for studying long-term responses to climate change across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Love
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
| | - J A Schweitzer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - J K Bailey
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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9
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Wadgymar SM, DeMarche ML, Josephs EB, Sheth SN, Anderson JT. Local adaptation: Causal agents of selection and adaptive trait divergence. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2022; 53:87-111. [PMID: 37790997 PMCID: PMC10544833 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012722-035231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Divergent selection across the landscape can favor the evolution of local adaptation in populations experiencing contrasting conditions. Local adaptation is widely observed in a diversity of taxa, yet we have a surprisingly limited understanding of the mechanisms that give rise to it. For instance, few have experimentally confirmed the biotic and abiotic variables that promote local adaptation, and fewer yet have identified the phenotypic targets of selection that mediate local adaptation. Here, we highlight critical gaps in our understanding of the process of local adaptation and discuss insights emerging from in-depth investigations of the agents of selection that drive local adaptation, the phenotypes they target, and the genetic basis of these phenotypes. We review historical and contemporary methods for assessing local adaptation, explore whether local adaptation manifests differently across life history, and evaluate constraints on local adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan L DeMarche
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Emily B Josephs
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Seema N Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jill T Anderson
- Department of Genetics and Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602
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10
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Mazer SJ, Hunter DJ, Hove AA, Dudley LS. Context-dependent concordance between physiological divergence and phenotypic selection in sister taxa with contrasting phenology and mating systems. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1757-1779. [PMID: 35652277 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The study of phenotypic divergence of, and selection on, functional traits in closely related taxa provides the opportunity to detect the role of natural selection in driving diversification. If the strength or direction of selection in field populations differs between taxa in a pattern that is consistent with the phenotypic difference between them, then natural selection reinforces the divergence. Few studies have sought evidence for such concordance for physiological traits. METHODS Herbarium specimen records were used to detect phenological differences between sister taxa independent of the effects on flowering time of long-term variation in the climate across collection sites. In the field, physiological divergence in photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and instantaneous water-use efficiency were recorded during vegetative growth and flowering in 13 field populations of two taxon pairs of Clarkia, each comprising a self-pollinating and a outcrossing taxon. RESULTS Historically, each selfing taxon flowered earlier than its outcrossing sister taxon, independent of the effects of local long-term climatic conditions. Sister taxa differed in all focal traits, but the degree and (in one case) the direction of divergence depended on life stage. In general, self-pollinating taxa had higher gas exchange rates, consistent with their earlier maturation. In 6 of 18 comparisons, patterns of selection were concordant with the phenotypic divergence (or lack thereof) between sister taxa. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of selection on physiological traits measured in heterogeneous conditions do not reliably reflect divergence between sister taxa, underscoring the need for replicated studies of the direction of selection within and among taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan J Mazer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - David J Hunter
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108
| | - Alisa A Hove
- Biology Department, Warren Wilson College, P.O. Box 9000, Asheville, NC, 28815, USA
| | - Leah S Dudley
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, East Central University, Ada, OK, 74820, USA
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11
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Christie K, Pierson NR, Lowry DB, Holeski LM. Local adaptation of seed and seedling traits along a natural aridity gradient may both predict and constrain adaptive responses to climate change. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1529-1544. [PMID: 36129014 PMCID: PMC9828382 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Variation in seed and seedling traits underlies how plants interact with their environment during establishment, a crucial life history stage. We quantified genetic-based variation in seed and seedling traits in populations of the annual plant Plantago patagonica across a natural aridity gradient, leveraging natural intraspecific variation to predict how populations might evolve in response to increasing aridity associated with climate change in the Southwestern U.S. METHODS We quantified seed size, seed size variation, germination timing, and specific leaf area in a greenhouse common garden, and related these traits to the climates of source populations. We then conducted a terminal drought experiment to determine which traits were most predictive of survival under early-season drought. RESULTS All traits showed evidence of clinal variation-seed size decreased, germination timing accelerated, and specific leaf area increased with increasing aridity. Populations with more variable historical precipitation regimes showed greater variation in seed size, suggestive of past selection shaping a diversified bet-hedging strategy mediated by seed size. Seedling height, achieved via larger seeds or earlier germination, was a significant predictor of survival under drought. CONCLUSIONS We documented substantial interspecific trait variation as well as clinal variation in several important seed and seedling traits, yet these slopes were often opposite to predictions for how individual traits might confer drought tolerance. This work shows that plant populations may adapt to increasing aridity via correlated trait responses associated with alternative life history strategies, but that trade-offs might constrain adaptive responses in individual traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Christie
- Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona86011USA
- Department of Plant BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan48824USA
| | - Natalie R. Pierson
- Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona86011USA
| | - David B. Lowry
- Department of Plant BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan48824USA
| | - Liza M. Holeski
- Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona86011USA
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12
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Ćalić I, Groen SC, Choi JY, Joly‐Lopez Z, Hamann E, Natividad MA, Dorph K, Cabral CLU, Torres RO, Vergara GV, Henry A, Purugganan MD, Franks SJ. The influence of genetic architecture on responses to selection under drought in rice. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1670-1690. [PMID: 36330294 PMCID: PMC9624088 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurately predicting responses to selection is a major goal in biology and important for successful crop breeding in changing environments. However, evolutionary responses to selection can be constrained by such factors as genetic and cross-environment correlations, linkage, and pleiotropy, and our understanding of the extent and impact of such constraints is still developing. Here, we conducted a field experiment to investigate potential constraints to selection for drought resistance in rice (Oryza sativa) using phenotypic selection analysis and quantitative genetics. We found that traits related to drought response were heritable, and some were under selection, including selection for earlier flowering, which could allow drought escape. However, patterns of selection generally were not opposite under wet and dry conditions, and we did not find individual or closely linked genes that influenced multiple traits, indicating a lack of evidence that antagonistic pleiotropy, linkage, or cross-environment correlations would constrain selection for drought resistance. In most cases, genetic correlations had little influence on responses to selection, with direct and indirect selection largely congruent. The exception to this was seed mass under drought, which was predicted to evolve in the opposite direction of direct selection due to correlations. Because of this indirect effect on selection on seed mass, selection for drought resistance was not accompanied by a decrease in seed mass, and yield increased with fecundity. Furthermore, breeding lines with high fitness and yield under drought also had high fitness and yield under wet conditions, indicating that there was no evidence for a yield penalty on drought resistance. We found multiple genes in which expression influenced both water use efficiency (WUE) and days to first flowering, supporting a genetic basis for the trade-off between drought escape and avoidance strategies. Together, these results can provide helpful guidance for understanding and managing evolutionary constraints and breeding stress-resistant crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Ćalić
- Department of Biological SciencesFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
- Institute of BotanyUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Simon C. Groen
- Department of NematologyUniversity of California at RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Jae Young Choi
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Zoé Joly‐Lopez
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Département de ChimieUniversité du Québec à MontréalQuébecCanada
| | - Elena Hamann
- Department of Biological SciencesFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
- Department of Genetics and Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Katherine Dorph
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | | | | | - Georgina V. Vergara
- International Rice Research InstituteLos BañosLagunaPhilippines
- Institute of Crop ScienceUniversity of the Philippines Los BañosLos BañosLagunaPhilippines
| | - Amelia Henry
- International Rice Research InstituteLos BañosLagunaPhilippines
| | - Michael D. Purugganan
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Center for Genomics and Systems BiologyNYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute, New York University Abu DhabiAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Steven J. Franks
- Department of Biological SciencesFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
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13
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Kramp RE, Liancourt P, Herberich MM, Saul L, Weides S, Tielbörger K, Májeková M. Functional traits and their plasticity shift from tolerant to avoidant under extreme drought. Ecology 2022; 103:e3826. [PMID: 35857330 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Under climate change, extreme droughts will limit water availability for plants. However, the species-specific responses make it difficult to draw general conclusions. We hypothesized that changes in species' abundance in response to extreme drought can be best explained by a set of water economic traits under ambient conditions in combination with the ability to adjust these traits towards higher drought resistance. We conducted a four-year field experiment in temperate grasslands using rainout shelters with 30% and 50% rainfall reduction. We quantified the response as the change in species abundance between ambient conditions and the rainfall reduction. Abundance response to extreme drought was best explained by a combination of traits in ambient conditions and their functional adjustment, most likely reflecting plasticity. Smaller leaved species decreased less in abundance under drought. With increasing drought intensity, we observed a shift from drought tolerance, i.e. an increase in leaf dry matter content, to avoidance, i.e. a less negative turgor loss point (TLP) in ambient conditions and a constancy in TLP under drought. We stress the importance of using a multidimensional approach of variation in multiple traits and the importance of considering a range of drought intensities to improve predictions of species' response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa E Kramp
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany.,Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.,Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic
| | | | - Lara Saul
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sophie Weides
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland
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14
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Preston JC, Wooliver R, Driscoll H, Coughlin A, Sheth SN. Spatial variation in high temperature-regulated gene expression predicts evolution of plasticity with climate change in the scarlet monkeyflower. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1254-1268. [PMID: 34859530 PMCID: PMC8821412 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A major way that organisms can adapt to changing environmental conditions is by evolving increased or decreased phenotypic plasticity. In the face of current global warming, more attention is being paid to the role of plasticity in maintaining fitness as abiotic conditions change over time. However, given that temporal data can be challenging to acquire, a major question is whether evolution in plasticity across space can predict adaptive plasticity across time. In growth chambers simulating two thermal regimes, we generated transcriptome data for western North American scarlet monkeyflowers (Mimulus cardinalis) collected from different latitudes and years (2010 and 2017) to test hypotheses about how plasticity in gene expression is responding to increases in temperature, and if this pattern is consistent across time and space. Supporting the genetic compensation hypothesis, individuals whose progenitors were collected from the warmer-origin northern 2017 descendant cohort showed lower thermal plasticity in gene expression than their cooler-origin northern 2010 ancestors. This was largely due to a change in response at the warmer (40°C) rather than cooler (20°C) treatment. A similar pattern of reduced plasticity, largely due to a change in response at 40°C, was also found for the cooler-origin northern versus the warmer-origin southern population from 2017. Our results demonstrate that reduced phenotypic plasticity can evolve with warming and that spatial and temporal changes in plasticity predict one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill C. Preston
- Department of Plant Biology, The University of Vermont, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA,Corresponding author:
| | - Rachel Wooliver
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA,Current address: Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heather Driscoll
- Bioinformatics Core, Vermont Biomedical Research Network, Department of Biology, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663, USA
| | - Aeran Coughlin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Seema N. Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Shay JE, Pennington LK, Mandussi Montiel-Molina JA, Toews DJ, Hendrickson BT, Sexton JP. Rules of Plant Species Ranges: Applications for Conservation Strategies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.700962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Earth is changing rapidly and so are many plant species’ ranges. Here, we synthesize eco-evolutionary patterns found in plant range studies and how knowledge of species ranges can inform our understanding of species conservation in the face of global change. We discuss whether general biogeographic “rules” are reliable and how they can be used to develop adaptive conservation strategies of native plant species across their ranges. Rules considered include (1) factors that set species range limits and promote range shifts; (2) the impact of biotic interactions on species range limits; (3) patterns of abundance and adaptive properties across species ranges; (4) patterns of gene flow and their implications for genetic rescue, and (5) the relationship between range size and conservation risk. We conclude by summarizing and evaluating potential species range rules to inform future conservation and management decisions. We also outline areas of research to better understand the adaptive capacity of plants under environmental change and the properties that govern species ranges. We advise conservationists to extend their work to specifically consider peripheral and novel populations, with a particular emphasis on small ranges. Finally, we call for a global effort to identify, synthesize, and analyze prevailing patterns or rules in ecology to help speed conservation efforts.
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16
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Zheng Z, Jin L, Li J, Chen J, Zhang X, Wang Z. Moisture variation inferred from tree rings in north central China and its links with the remote oceans. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16463. [PMID: 34385488 PMCID: PMC8361152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93841-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we presented a composite standard chronology, spanning 1635-2018 to reconstruct May-July moisture variation in north central China. Our reconstruction revealed four severe dry epochs and five pronounced wet epochs. Additionally, spatial correlation analysis of our reconstruction with the actual self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index showed that our reconstruction was representative of large-scale May-July moisture changes. Both the severe dry and pronounced wet epochs showed one-to-one correspondence with other reconstructions nearby during their common periods, which demonstrated the reliability of our reconstruction backwards in time. Spectral analysis showed that significant spectral peaks were found at 2.1-3.8 years, which fell within the overall bandwidth of the El Niño-Southern Oscillations (ENSO). The spatial correlation patterns between our reconstruction and sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial eastern Pacific further confirmed the link between regional moisture and ENSO, with warm-phase ENSO resulting in low moisture and vice-versa. However, this link was time-dependent during the past four centuries, and was modulated by different phases of SST in the tropical Indian Ocean. Additionally, significant peaks at 24.9-46.5 years and spatial correlation patterns indicated that the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation may be the possible forcing factors of regional moisture at lower frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Liya Jin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, 610225, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jinjian Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, 610225, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaojian Zhang
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenqian Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
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