Evolutionary potential of a widespread clonal grass under changing climate

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Science

Background:

• Adaptive responses are crucial for population survival under climate change, necessitating sufficient evolutionary potential.
• Estimates of evolutionary potential are limited for long-lived clonal plants, which are expected to dominate future landscapes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the evolutionary potential of the perennial grass Festuca rubra in response to predicted climate change.
• To investigate genetic variances, covariances, and selection responses in contrasting controlled environments.

Main Methods:

• Controlled experiments simulating cold-dry and warm-wet environments.
• Estimation of genetic variances, covariances, selection gradients, and response to selection for various traits.
• Comparison of evolutionary potential between environments.

Main Results:

• Festuca rubra exhibits high evolutionary potential in both cold-dry and warm-wet conditions.
• Genetic covariances facilitate selection along a primary direction with minimal constraints.
• Current adaptive responses are insufficient for predicted climate change, but pre-adapted genotypes exist.

Conclusions:

• Festuca rubra populations demonstrate substantial evolutionary potential for long-term adaptation to climate change.
• Pre-adapted genotypes, particularly for growth and resource acquisition, enhance population resilience.
• Long-lived clonal plants like F. rubra may possess adequate adaptive capacity for future climate scenarios.