Faculty Opinions recommendation of Will phenotypic plasticity affecting flowering phenology keep pace with climate change?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Merilä
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Flowering Phenology

scholarly journals Phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution contribute to advancing flowering phenology in response to climate change

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1743) ◽  
pp. 3843-3852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill T. Anderson ◽  
David W. Inouye ◽  
Amy M. McKinney ◽  
Robert I. Colautti ◽  
Tom Mitchell-Olds
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Directional Selection ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
Evolutionary Response

Anthropogenic climate change has already altered the timing of major life-history transitions, such as the initiation of reproduction. Both phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution can underlie rapid phenological shifts in response to climate change, but their relative contributions are poorly understood. Here, we combine a continuous 38 year field survey with quantitative genetic field experiments to assess adaptation in the context of climate change. We focused on Boechera stricta (Brassicaeae), a mustard native to the US Rocky Mountains. Flowering phenology advanced significantly from 1973 to 2011, and was strongly associated with warmer temperatures and earlier snowmelt dates. Strong directional selection favoured earlier flowering in contemporary environments (2010–2011). Climate change could drive this directional selection, and promote even earlier flowering as temperatures continue to increase. Our quantitative genetic analyses predict a response to selection of 0.2 to 0.5 days acceleration in flowering per generation, which could account for more than 20 per cent of the phenological change observed in the long-term dataset. However, the strength of directional selection and the predicted evolutionary response are likely much greater now than even 30 years ago because of rapidly changing climatic conditions. We predict that adaptation will likely be necessary for long-term in situ persistence in the context of climate change.

Will phenotypic plasticity affecting flowering phenology keep pace with climate change?

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2499-2508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryce A. Richardson ◽  
Lindsay Chaney ◽  
Nancy L. Shaw ◽  
Shannon M. Still
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Flowering Phenology

scholarly journals The Impact of Different Environmental Conditions during Vegetative Propagation on Growth, Survival, and Biochemical Characteristics in Populus Hybrids in Clonal Field Trial

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 892
Author(s):  
Valda Gudynaitė-Franckevičienė ◽  
Alfas Pliūra
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Vegetative Propagation ◽  
Genotypic Variation ◽  
Hybrid Poplar ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Biochemical Traits ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Growing Conditions

To have a cleaner environment, good well-being, and improve the health of citizens it is necessary to expand green urban and suburban areas using productive and adapted material of tree species. The quality of urban greenery, resistance to negative climate change factors and pollution, as well as efficiency of short-rotation forestry in suburban areas, depends primarily on the selection of hybrids and clones, suitable for the local environmental conditions. We postulate that ecogenetic response, phenotypic plasticity, and genotypic variation of hybrid poplars (Populus L.) grown in plantations are affected not only by the peculiarities of hybrids and clones, but also by environmental conditions of their vegetative propagation. The aim of the present study was to estimate growth and biochemical responses, the phenotypic plasticity, genotypic variation of adaptive traits, and genetically regulated adaptability of Populus hybrids in field trials which may be predisposed by the simulated contrasting temperature conditions at their vegetative propagation phase. The research was performed with the 20 cultivars and experimental clones of one intraspecific cross and four different interspecific hybrids of poplars propagated under six contrasting temperature regimes in phytotron. The results suggest that certain environmental conditions during vegetative propagation not only have a short-term effect on tree viability and growth, but also can help to adapt to climate change conditions and grow successfully in the long-term. It was found that tree growth and biochemical traits (the chlorophyll A and B, pigments content and the chlorophyll A/B ratio) of hybrid poplar clones grown in field trials, as well as their traits’ genetic parameters, were affected by the rooting-growing conditions during vegetative propagation phase. Hybrids P. balsamifera × P. trichocarpa, and P. trichocarpa × P. trichocarpa have shown the most substantial changes of biochemical traits across vegetative propagation treatments in field trial. Rooting-growing conditions during vegetative propagation had also an impact on coefficients of genotypic variation and heritability in hybrid poplar clones when grown in field trials.

Neurobiology of phenotypic plasticity in the light of climate change

Neuroforum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda C. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Chemical Information ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Changing Environments ◽  
Neuronal Signalling ◽  
Physiological Adaptations ◽  
Signalling Cascade

Abstract Phenotypic plasticity describes the ability of an organism with a given genotype to respond to changing environmental conditions through the adaptation of the phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity is a widespread means of adaptation, allowing organisms to optimize fitness levels in changing environments. A core prerequisite for adaptive predictive plasticity is the existence of reliable cues, i.e. accurate environmental information about future selection on the expressed plastic phenotype. Furthermore, organisms need the capacity to detect and interpret such cues, relying on specific sensory signalling and neuronal cascades. Subsequent neurohormonal changes lead to the transformation of phenotype A into phenotype B. Each of these activities is critical for survival. Consequently, anything that could impair an animal’s ability to perceive important chemical information could have significant ecological ramifications. Climate change and other human stressors can act on individual or all of the components of this signalling cascade. In consequence, organisms could lose their adaptive potential, or in the worst case, even become maladapted. Therefore, it is key to understand the sensory systems, the neurobiology and the physiological adaptations that mediate organisms’ interactions with their environment. It is, thus, pivotal to predict the ecosystem-wide effects of global human forcing. This review summarizes current insights on how climate change affects phenotypic plasticity, focussing on how associated stressors change the signalling agents, the sensory systems, receptor responses and neuronal signalling cascades, thereby, impairing phenotypic adaptations.

scholarly journals Birds facing climate change: a qualitative model for the adaptive potential of migratory behaviour

2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelangelo Morganti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Qualitative Model ◽  
Migratory Behaviour ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Genetic Determination ◽  
Recent Climate

Recent climate change is altering the migratory behaviour of many bird species. An advancement in the timing of spring events and a shift in the geographical distribution have been detected for birds around the world. In particular, intra-Palearctic migratory birds have advanced arrivals in spring and shortened migratory distances by shifting northward their wintering grounds. These changes in migratory patterns are considered adaptive responses facilitating the adjustment of the life cycle to the phenological changes found in their breeding areas. However, in some cases, populations exposed to the same selective pressures do not show any appreciable adaptive change in their behaviour. Basing on the comparison of realized and non-realized adaptive changes, I propose here the formulation of a qualitative model that predicts the potential of migratory birds populations to change adaptively their migratory behaviour. The model assumes that the adaptive potential of migratory behaviour is fuelled by both genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity. Populations of long-distance migrants are exposed to strong environmental canalization that largely eroded their phenotypic plasticity and reduced genetic variability, so that they show a very low amount of adaptive potential regarding migratory behaviour. On the contrary, partial-migrant populations have a highly varied genetic profile and are more plastic at the phenotypic level, and consequently show the highest amount of adaptive potential. Species with mainly social and mainly genetic determination of the migratory behaviour are separately treated in the model. Specific empirical models to foresee the adaptive strategies of wild bird populations that face to climate change can be derived from the general theoretical model. As example, a specific model about the shortening of migratory distances in Western European migratory bird is presented. Finally, a number of future research lines on the topic of adaptive potential of migratory behaviour are discussed, including some examples of concrete study cases. In conclusion, partial-migration emerge as the less known system and future research efforts on this topic are expected to be especially fruitful.

scholarly journals Epigenetic mediation of the onset of reproduction in a songbird

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Lindner ◽  
Veronika N. Laine ◽  
Irene Verhagen ◽  
Heidi M. Viitaniemi ◽  
Marcel E. Visser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Great Tit ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Avian Reproduction ◽  
Directional Variation

ABSTRACTClimate change significantly impacts natural populations, particularly phenology traits, like the seasonal onset of reproduction in birds. This impact is mainly via plastic responses in phenology traits to changes in the environment, but the molecular mechanism mediating this plasticity remains elusive. Epigenetic modifications can mediate plasticity and consequently constitute promising candidates for mediating phenology traits. Here, we used genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of individual great tit (Parus major) females that we blood sampled repeatedly throughout the breeding season. We demonstrate rapid and directional variation in DNA methylation within the regulatory region of genes known to play key roles in avian reproduction that are in line with observed changes in gene expression in chickens. Our findings provide an important step towards unraveling the molecular mechanism mediating a key life history trait, an essential knowledge-gap for understanding how natural populations may cope with future climate change.IMPACT SUMMARYNatural populations are increasingly challenged by changing environmental conditions like global increases in temperature. A key way for species to adapt to global warming is via phenotypic plasticity, i.e. the ability to adjust the expression of traits to the environment. We, however, know little about how the environment can interact with an organism’s genetic make-up to shape its trait value. Epigenetic marks are known to vary with the environment and can modulate the expression of traits without any change in the genetic make-up and therefore have the potential to mediate phenotypic plasticity.To study the role of epigenetics for phenotypic plasticity, we here focus on the great tit (Parus major), a species that is strongly affected by global warming and plastic for temperature in an essential phenology trait, the seasonal onset of egg laying. As a first step, we investigated whether great tit females show within-individual and short-term variation in DNA methylation that corresponds to changes in the reproductive state of females. We therefore housed breeding pairs in climate-controlled aviaries to blood sample each female repeatedly throughout the breeding season and used these repeated samples for methylation profiling.We found rapid and directional variation in DNA methylation at the time females prepared to initiate egg laying that is located within the regulatory region of genes that have previously described functions for avian reproduction. Although future work is needed to establish a causal link between the observed temporal variation in DNA methylation and the onset of reproduction in female great tits, our work highlights the potential role for epigenetic modifications in mediating an essential phenology trait that is sensitive to temperatures.

scholarly journals LATE BLOOMING OF PLANTS FROM NORTHERN NOVA SCOTIA: RESPONSES TO A MILD FALL AND WINTER

2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Garbary ◽  
Jonathan Ferrier ◽  
Barry R. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Flowering Date ◽  
Cornus Sericea ◽  
Allium Schoenoprasum ◽  
Herbaceous Dicots

Over 1400 flowering records of 135 species were recorded from over 125visits to more than 20 sites in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia from November2005 to January 2006, when the growing season is normally over. The speciesidentified were primarily herbaceous dicots; however, there were four speciesof woody plants (Cornus sericea, Spiraea latifolia, Symphoricarpos albusand Salix sp.) and one monocot (Allium schoenoprasum). The number ofspecies flowering declined linearly as fall progressed, as did the amountof flowering for each species. Nevertheless, over 40 species were still inflower in early December, and over 20 species flowered in January. Thefinal flowering date was 21 January, when ten species were found. Thiswork builds on a previous study in 2001, when 93 species were recordedin flower during November-December. In addition to the 30% increase inrecorded species in 2005, almost 50% of the species found in 2005 werenot recorded in 2001. This study provides an expanded baseline againstwhich changes in flowering phenology can be evaluated with respect tosubsequent regional climate change.Key Words: Antigonish, flowering, Nova Scotia, phenology, climate change

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