scholarly journals Physiological variation reflects bioclimatic differences in the Drosophila americana species complex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Davis ◽  
Leonie C. Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Desiccation Resistance ◽  
Uv Resistance ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Geographic Space

AbstractBackgroundDisentangling the selective factors shaping adaptive trait variation is an important but challenging task. Many studies—especially in Drosophila—have documented trait variation along latitudinal or altitudinal clines, but frequently lack resolution about specific environmental gradients that could be causal selective agents, and often do not investigate covariation between traits simultaneously. Here we examined variation in multiple macroecological factors across geographic space and their associations with variation in three physiological traits (desiccation resistance, UV resistance, and pigmentation) at both population and species scales, to address the role of abiotic environment in shaping trait variation.ResultsUsing environmental data from collection locations of three North American Drosophila species—D. americana americana, D. americana texana and D. novamexicana—we identified two primary axes of macroecological variation; these differentiated species habitats and were strongly loaded for precipitation and moisture variables. In nine focal populations (three per species) assayed for each trait, we detected significant species-level variation for both desiccation resistance and pigmentation, but not for UV resistance. Species-level trait variation was consistent with differential natural selection imposed by variation in habitat water availability, although patterns of variation differed between desiccation resistance and pigmentation, and we found little evidence for pleiotropy between traits.ConclusionsOur multi-faceted approach enabled us to identify potential agents of natural selection and examine how they might influence the evolution of multiple traits at different evolutionary scales. Our findings highlight that environmental factors influence functional trait variation in ways that can be complex, and point to the importance of studies that examine these relationships at both population- and species-levels.

scholarly journals Desiccation resistance and pigmentation variation reflects bioclimatic differences in the Drosophila americana species complex

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Davis ◽  
Leonie C. Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Desiccation Resistance ◽  
Uv Resistance ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Geographic Space

Abstract Background Disentangling the selective factors shaping adaptive trait variation is an important but challenging task. Many studies—especially in Drosophila—have documented trait variation along latitudinal or altitudinal clines, but frequently lack resolution about specific environmental gradients that could be causal selective agents, and often do not investigate covariation between traits simultaneously. Here we examined variation in multiple macroecological factors across geographic space and their associations with variation in three physiological traits (desiccation resistance, UV resistance, and pigmentation) at both population and species scales, to address the role of abiotic environment in shaping trait variation. Results Using environmental data from collection locations of three North American Drosophila species—D. americana americana, D. americana texana and D. novamexicana—we identified two primary axes of macroecological variation; these differentiated species habitats and were strongly loaded for precipitation and moisture variables. In nine focal populations (three per species) assayed for each trait, we detected significant species-level variation for both desiccation resistance and pigmentation, but not for UV resistance. Species-level trait variation was consistent with differential natural selection imposed by variation in habitat water availability, although patterns of variation differed between desiccation resistance and pigmentation, and we found little evidence for pleiotropy between traits. Conclusions Our multi-faceted approach enabled us to identify potential agents of natural selection and examine how they might influence the evolution of multiple traits at different evolutionary scales. Our findings highlight that environmental factors influence functional trait variation in ways that can be complex, and point to the importance of studies that examine these relationships at both population- and species-levels.

scholarly journals Just how big is intraspecific trait variation in basidiomycete wood fungal fruit bodies?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha K. Dawson ◽  
Mari Jönsson
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Fruit Body ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Fungal Ecology ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Trait Variation

AbstractAs the use of functional trait approaches is growing in fungal ecology, there is a corresponding need to understand trait variation. Much of trait theory and statistical techniques are built on the assumption that interspecific variation is larger than intraspecific variation. This allows the use of mean trait values for species, which the vast majority of trait studies adopt. We examined the size of intra- vs. inter-specific variation in two wood fungal fruit body traits: size and density. Both coefficients of variation (CV) and Trait Probability Density analyses were used to quantify trait variation. We found that intraspecific variation in fruit body density was more than twice as variable as interspecific variation, and fruit body size was hugely variable (CVs averaged 190%), although interspecific variation was larger. Further, there was a very high degree of overlap in the trait space of species, indicating that there may be little niche partitioning at the species level. These findings show that intraspecific variation is highly important and should be accounted for when using trait approaches to understand fungal ecology. More data on variation of other fungal traits is also desperately needed to ascertain whether the high level of variation found here is typical for fungi. While the need to measure individuals does reduce the ability to generalise at the species level, it does not negate the usefulness of fungal trait measurements. There are two reasons for this: first, the ecology of most fungal species remains poorly known and trait measurements address this gap; and secondly, if trait overlap between species more generally is as much as we found here, then individual measurements may be more helpful than species identity for untangling fungal community dynamics.

Functional trait variation along environmental gradients in temperate and Mediterranean trees

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1377-1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Vilà-Cabrera ◽  
Jordi Martínez-Vilalta ◽  
Javier Retana
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Trait Variation

scholarly journals Functional trait variation related to gap dynamics in tropical moist forests: A vegetation modelling perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 52-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Fürstenau Togashi ◽  
Owen K. Atkin ◽  
Keith J. Bloomfield ◽  
Matt Bradford ◽  
Kunfang Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Trait ◽  
Gap Dynamics ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Vegetation Modelling

scholarly journals Phenotypic plasticity can reverse the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability across a thermal gradient

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1953) ◽  
pp. 20210428
Author(s):  
Staffan Jacob ◽  
Delphine Legrand
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Interspecific Variability ◽  
Ciliate Species ◽  
Relative Extent ◽  
Trait Variability

Intra- and interspecific variability can both ensure ecosystem functions. Generalizing the effects of individual and species assemblages requires understanding how much within and between species trait variation is genetically based or results from phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity can indeed lead to rapid and important changes of trait distributions, and in turn community functionality, depending on environmental conditions, which raises a crucial question: could phenotypic plasticity modify the relative importance of intra- and interspecific variability along environmental gradients? We quantified the fundamental niche of five genotypes in monocultures for each of five ciliate species along a wide thermal gradient in standardized conditions to assess the importance of phenotypic plasticity for the level of intraspecific variability compared to differences between species. We showed that phenotypic plasticity strongly influences trait variability and reverses the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability along the thermal gradient. Our results show that phenotypic plasticity may lead to either increase or decrease of functional trait variability along environmental gradients, making intra- and interspecific variability highly dynamic components of ecological systems.

To compete or defend: linking functional trait variation with life-history tradeoffs in a foundation tree species

Oecologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 192 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-907
Author(s):  
Eric L. Kruger ◽  
Ken Keefover-Ring ◽  
Liza M. Holeski ◽  
Richard L. Lindroth
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Life History Tradeoffs

The shape of a defense-growth trade-off governs seasonal trait dynamics in natural phytoplankton

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Ehrlich ◽  
Nadja J. Kath ◽  
Ursula Gaedke
Keyword(s):  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Community Persistence ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Persistence Theory

Functional trait compositions of communities can adapt to altered environmental conditions ensuring community persistence. Theory predicts that the shape of trade-offs between traits crucially affects these trait dynamics, but its empirical verification from the field is missing. Here, we show how the shape of a defense-growth trade-off governs seasonal trait dynamics of a natural community, using high-frequency, long-term measurements of phytoplankton from Lake Constance. As expected from the lab-derived concave trade-off curve, we observed an alternating dominance of several fast-growing species with intermediate defense levels and gradual changes of the biomass-trait distribution due to seasonally changing grazing pressure. By combining data and modelling, we obtain mechanistic insights on the underlying fitness landscape, and show that low fitness differences can maintain trait variation along the trade-off curve. We provide firm evidence for a frequently assumed trade-off and conclude that quantifying its shape allows to understand environmentally driven trait changes within communities.

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