Phenotypic Plasticity in the Invasion of Crofton Weed (Eupatorium adenophorum) in China

Weed Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujie Zhao ◽  
Xuejun Yang ◽  
Xinqiang Xi ◽  
Xianming Gao ◽  
Shucun Sun
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Similar Reaction ◽  
Crofton Weed ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Population Origin ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolution are two important strategies by which invasive species adapt to a wide range of environments and consequently are closely associated with plant invasion. To test their importance in invasion success of Crofton weed, we examined the phenotypic response and genetic variation of the weed by conducting a field investigation, common garden experiments, and intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis on 16 populations in China. Molecular markers revealed low genetic variation among and within the sampled populations. There were significant differences in leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and seed number (SN) among field populations, and plasticity index (PIv) for LA, SLA, and SN were 0.62, 0.46 and 0.85, respectively. Regression analyses revealed a significant quadratic effect of latitude of population origin on LA, SLA, and SN based on field data but not on traits in the common garden experiments (greenhouse and open air). Plants from different populations showed similar reaction norms across the two common gardens for functional traits. LA, SLA, aboveground biomass, plant height at harvest, first flowering day, and life span were higher in the greenhouse than in the open-air garden, whereas SN was lower. Growth conditions (greenhouse vs. open air) and the interactions between growth condition and population origin significantly affect plant traits. The combined evidence suggests high phenotypic plasticity but low genetically based variation for functional traits of Crofton weed in the invaded range. Therefore, we suggest that phenotypic plasticity is the primary strategy for Crofton weed as an aggressive invader that can adapt to diverse environments in China.

scholarly journals High differentiation in functional traits but similar phenotypic plasticity in populations of a soil specialist along a climatic gradient

2020 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
pp. 969-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Matesanz ◽  
Marina Ramos-Muñoz ◽  
Mario Blanco-Sánchez ◽  
Adrián Escudero
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Population Level ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Moisture Variation ◽  
Neutral Genetic Variation

Abstract Background and Aims Plants experiencing contrasting environmental conditions may accommodate such heterogeneity by expressing phenotypic plasticity, evolving local adaptation or a combination of both. We investigated patterns of genetic differentiation and plasticity in response to drought in populations of the gypsum specialist Lepidium subulatum. Methods We created an outdoor common garden with rain exclusion structures using 60 maternal progenies from four distinct populations that substantially differ in climatic conditions. We characterized fitness, life history and functional plasticity in response to two contrasting treatments that realistically reflect soil moisture variation in gypsum habitats. We also assessed neutral genetic variation and population structure using microsatellite markers. Key Results In response to water stress, plants from all populations flowered earlier, increased allocation to root tissues and advanced leaf senescence, consistent with a drought escape strategy. Remarkably, these probably adaptive responses were common to all populations, as shown by the lack of population × environment interaction for almost all functional traits. This generally common pattern of response was consistent with substantial neutral genetic variation and large differences in population trait means. However, such population-level trait variation was not related to climatic conditions at the sites of origin. Conclusions Our results show that, rather than ecotypes specialized to local climatic conditions, these populations are composed of highly plastic, general-purpose genotypes in relation to climatic heterogeneity. The strikingly similar patterns of plasticity among populations, despite substantial site of origin differences in climate, suggest past selection on a common norm of reaction due to similarly high levels of variation within sites. It is thus likely that plasticity will have a prevalent role in the response of this soil specialist to further environmental change.

scholarly journals Adaptation to a latitudinal thermal gradient within a widespread copepod species: the contributions of genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1853) ◽  
pp. 20170236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo J. Pereira ◽  
Matthew C. Sasaki ◽  
Ronald S. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Genetic Divergence ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Thermal Adaptation ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Latitudinal Gradients ◽  
Physiological Limits ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Understanding how populations adapt to heterogeneous thermal regimes is essential for comprehending how latitudinal gradients in species diversification are formed, and how taxa will respond to ongoing climate change. Adaptation can occur by innate genetic factors, by phenotypic plasticity, or by a combination of both mechanisms. Yet, the relative contribution of such mechanisms to large-scale latitudinal gradients of thermal tolerance across conspecific populations remains unclear. We examine thermal performance in 11 populations of the intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus , ranging from Baja California Sur (Mexico) to British Columbia (Canada). Common garden experiments show that survivorship to acute heat-stress differs between populations (by up to 3.8°C in LD 50 values), reflecting a strong genetic thermal adaptation. Using a split-brood experiment with two rearing temperatures, we also show that developmental phenotypic plasticity is beneficial to thermal tolerance (by up to 1.3°C), and that this effect differs across populations. Although genetic divergence in heat tolerance strongly correlates with latitude and temperature, differences in the plastic response do not. In the context of climate warming, our results confirm the general prediction that low-latitude populations are most susceptible to local extinction because genetic adaptation has placed physiological limits closer to current environmental maxima, but our results also contradict the prediction that phenotypic plasticity is constrained at lower latitudes.

Genotypic and phenotypic variability of Zostera marina on the west coast of North America

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1361-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. H. Backman
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Zostera Marina ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Puget Sound ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Wide Range

The relation between environmental factors and leaf morphology of Zostera marina L. have long been unclear, primarily because the species is intrinsically variable. The common-garden method was used to determine the genetic, environmental, and interaction components of leaf size variation. Zostera marina consists of several ecotypes with a wide range of phenotypic plasticity. Variation in the morphology of Z. marina was of three types: genetic, accounting for 14% across the localities studied; environmental (phenotypic plasticity along temporal and spatial gradients), accounting for 32%; and interaction between genotype and environmental, acounting for 35%. Five ecotypes were described for the North American Pacific coast: Z. marina L. var. izembekensis Backman, Z. marina L. var. typica Setchell, Z. marina L. var. phillipsii Backman, Z. marina L. var. latifolia Morong, Z. marina L. var. atàm Backman. Temporal variation was due to seasonal phenotypic changes in ecotypes. Zostera marina var. izembekensis showed little seasonal morphological changes; Z. marina var. typica demonstrated minor increase in leaf size in spring and summer. Zostera marina var. phillipsii and Z. marina var. latifolia behaved similarly in that leaf size of both increased markedly in spring through early summer. Zostera marina var. phillipsii is adapted to Hood Canal and Puget Sound while Z. marina var. latifolia occupies the outer coast. Zostera marina var. atàm exhibits sexual reproduction exclusively and is specifically adapted to the Gulf of California. Key words: seagrasses, common-garden experiment, ecotypes, morphometrics, genotypes.

scholarly journals Functional macrophyte trait variation as a response to the source of inorganic carbon acquisition

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12584
Author(s):  
Rafał Chmara ◽  
Eugeniusz Pronin ◽  
Józef Szmeja
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Aquatic Macrophyte ◽  
Secchi Depth ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Macrophyte Species ◽  
Inorganic Carbon Acquisition

Background This study aims to compare variation in a range of aquatic macrophyte species leaf traits into three carbon acquisition groups: HCO3−, free CO2 and atmospheric CO2. Methods The leaf functional traits were measured for 30 species from 30 softwater lakes. Macrophyte species were classified into (1) free CO2, (2) atmospheric CO2 and (3) bicarbonate HCO3− groups. In each lake we collected water samples and measured eight environmental variables: depth, Secchi depth, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), pH of water, conductivity, calcium concentration, total nitrogen and total phosphorus. In this study we applied the RLQ analysis to investigate the relationships between species functional traits (Q) and their relationship with environmental variables (R) constrained by species abundance (L). Results The results showed that: (1) Aquatic macrophytes exhibited high leaf trait variations as a response to different inorganic carbon acquisition; (2) Traits of leaves refer to the acquisition of carbon for photosynthesis and serve to maximise this process; (3) In the wide softwater habitat, macrophyte species exhibited an extreme range of leaf economic spectrum (leaf area, leaf dry weight and specific leaf area) and wide range of shape trait expressed as circularity; (4) Macrophyte leaf traits are the result of adaptation to carbon acquisition in ambient environment.

Thermal adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in a warming world: Insights from common garden experiments on Alaskan sockeye salmon

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 5203-5217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan M. Sparks ◽  
Peter A. H. Westley ◽  
Jeffrey A. Falke ◽  
Thomas P. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Thermal Adaptation ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Common Garden Experiments ◽  
Warming World

scholarly journals Complex interactions between local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity and sex affect vulnerability to warming in a widespread marine copepod

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 182115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Sasaki ◽  
Sydney Hedberg ◽  
Kailin Richardson ◽  
Hans G. Dam
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Marine Copepod ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Predicting the response of populations to climate change requires an understanding of how various factors affect thermal performance. Genetic differentiation is well known to affect thermal performance, but the effects of sex and developmental phenotypic plasticity often go uncharacterized. We used common garden experiments to test for effects of local adaptation, developmental phenotypic plasticity and individual sex on thermal performance of the ubiquitous copepod,Acartia tonsa(Calanoida, Crustacea) from two populations strongly differing in thermal regimes (Florida and Connecticut, USA). Females had higher thermal tolerance than males in both populations, while the Florida population had higher thermal tolerance compared with the Connecticut population. An effect of developmental phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance was observed only in the Connecticut population. Our results show clearly that thermal performance is affected by complex interactions of the three tested variables. Ignoring sex-specific differences in thermal performance may result in a severe underestimation of population-level impacts of warming because of population decline due to sperm limitation. Furthermore, despite having a higher thermal tolerance, low-latitude populations may be more vulnerable to warming as they lack the ability to respond to increases in temperature through phenotypic plasticity.

Landscape patterns of phenotypic variation and population structuring in a selfing grass, Elymus glaucus (blue wildrye)

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 1776-1789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicky J Erickson ◽  
Nancy L Mandel ◽  
Frank C Sorensen
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Clinal Variation ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Seed Transfer ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Elymus Glaucus

Source-related phenotypic variance was investigated in a common garden study of populations of Elymus glaucus Buckley (blue wildrye) from the Blue Mountain Ecological Province of northeastern Oregon and adjoining Washington. The primary objective of this study was to assess geographic patterns of potentially adaptive differentiation in this self-fertile allotetraploid grass, and use this information to develop a framework for guiding seed movement and preserving adaptive patterns of genetic variation in ongoing restoration work. Progeny of 188 families were grown for 3 years under two moisture treatments and measured for a wide range of traits involving growth, morphology, fecundity, and phenology. Variation among seed sources was analyzed in relation to physiographic and climatic trends, and to various spatial stratifications such as ecoregions, watersheds, edaphic classifications, etc. Principal component (PC) analysis extracted four primary PCs that together accounted for 67% of the variance in measured traits. Regression and cluster analyses revealed predominantly ecotypic or stepped-clinal distribution of genetic variation. Three distinct geographic groups of locations accounted for over 84% of the variation in PC-1 and PC-2 scores; group differences were best described by longitude and ecoregion. Clinal variation in PC-3 and PC-4 scores was present in the largest geographic group. Four geographic subdivisions were proposed for delimiting E. glaucus seed transfer in the Blue Mountains.Key words: Elymus glaucus, morphological variation, local adaptation, seed transfer, seed zones, polyploid.

scholarly journals Complex interactions between local adaptation, plasticity, and sex affect vulnerability to warming in a widespread marine copepod

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Sasaki ◽  
Sydney Hedberg ◽  
Kailin Richardson ◽  
Hans G. Dam
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Marine Copepod ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

AbstractPredicting the response of populations to climate change requires knowledge of thermal performance. Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity affect thermal performance, but the effects of sex and developmental temperatures often go uncharacterized. We used common garden experiments to test for effects of local adaptation, developmental phenotypic plasticity, and individual sex on thermal performance of the ubiquitous copepod, Acartia tonsa. Females had higher thermal tolerance than males in both populations, while the Florida population had higher thermal tolerance compared to the Connecticut population. An effect of developmental phenotypic plasticity on thermal tolerance was observed only in the Connecticut population. Ignoring sex-specific differences may result in a severe underestimation of population-level impacts of warming (i.e. - population decline due to sperm limitation). Further, despite having a higher thermal tolerance, southern populations may be more vulnerable to warming as they lack the ability to respond to increases in temperature through phenotypic plasticity.

scholarly journals Ongoing Evolution in the Genus Crocus: Diversity of Flowering Strategies on the Way to Hysteranthy

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 477
Author(s):  
Teresa Pastor-Férriz ◽  
Marcelino De-los-Mozos-Pascual ◽  
Begoña Renau-Morata ◽  
Sergio G. Nebauer ◽  
Enrique Sanchis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Floral Induction ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Flower Primordia ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Winter Temperatures ◽  
Mediterranean Regions ◽  
Common Garden Experiments

Species of the genus Crocus are found over a wide range of climatic areas. In natural habitats, these geophytes diverge in the flowering strategies. This variability was assessed by analyzing the flowering traits of the Spanish collection of wild crocuses, preserved in the Bank of Plant Germplasm of Cuenca. Plants of the seven Spanish species were analyzed both in their natural environments (58 native populations) and in common garden experiments (112 accessions). Differences among species observed in the native habitats were maintained under uniform environmental conditions, suggesting a genetic basis for flowering mechanisms. Two eco-morphological types, autumn- and spring-flowering species, share similar patterns of floral induction and differentiation period in summer. The optimal temperature for this process was 23 °C for both types. Unlike Irano-Turanian crocuses, spring-flowering Spanish species do not require low winter temperatures for flower elongation. Hysteranthous crocuses flower in autumn prior to leaf elongation. We conclude that the variability in flowering traits in crocuses is related to the genetic and environmental regulation of flower primordia differentiation and elongation prior to emergence above the soil surface. The elucidation of the physiological differences between eco-morphological types of crocuses: synanthous with cold requirements and synanthous and hysteranthous without cold requirements, unlocks a new approach to the flowering evolution of geophytes in Mediterranean regions. Crocus species can serve both as a new model in the study of the molecular basis of hysteranthy and for the purposes of developing the molecular markers for desirable flowering traits.

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