10.25338/B85D2X
Christie, Kyle
0000-0001-8257-2106
Michigan State University
Pierson, Natalie
Northern Arizona University
Lowry, David
Michigan State University
Holeski, Liza
Northern Arizona University
Data for: Local adaptation of seed and seedling traits along a natural
aridity gradient may both predict and constrain adaptive responses to
climate change
Dryad
dataset
2022
FOS: Biological sciences
Plantago patagonica
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
1906759
National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka
https://ror.org/010xaa060
1646666
National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka
https://ror.org/010xaa060
1950421
Northern Arizona University greenhouse*
2022-08-30T00:00:00Z
2022-08-30T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7036431
3332135 bytes
4
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
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) Premise of study: 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. Key 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.
Keywrds: climate change, drought, intraspecific trait variation, life
history strategies, local adaptation, Plantago, precipitation variability,
seed size, trade-offs Data files: This upload includes all of the input
data (.csv and .Rdata) and scripts (.R) for analysis and figure generation
in the manuscript. See the included README.txt file for details.
Location: This research was conducted at the greenhouse at Nothern Arizona
University, using seeds collected from 12 locations in nothern Arizona and
southern Utah.
These data were collected in the greenhouse and lab (see Methods in the
manuscript).
All analyses and figure generation were conducted in R.