Associations between leaf developmental stability, variability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity in Abutilon...

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Plant ecology
• Evolutionary biology

Background:

• Developmental stability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity are key sources of phenotypic variation.
• Comparative studies on the interrelationships of these factors in plants are limited.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for predicting plant responses to environmental changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships among developmental stability/instability, developmental variability, canalization, and plasticity in plants.
• To analyze how these relationships are influenced by environmental factors like plant density and soil fertility.
• To examine these dynamics across different growth stages in *Abutilon theophrasti*.

Main Methods:

• Field experiment with *Abutilon theophrasti* under varying densities and soil conditions (infertile vs. fertile).
• Measurement of leaf width (leaf size) at multiple time points (days 30, 50, 70).
• Calculation of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), coefficient of variation within (CV_intra) and among (CV_inter) individuals, and relative plasticity (PI_rel).

Main Results:

• Increased density reduced leaf FA, CV_intra, and PI_rel, while increasing CV_inter in fertile soil.
• Positive correlation between FA and PI_rel in infertile soil.
• Negative correlations observed between CV_inter and PI_rel, and CV_inter and CV_intra under high density and/or fertile conditions.

Conclusions:

• The interplay of developmental instability, variability, and canalization is complex and stress-dependent.
• Intense competition (high density) reduces leaf size plasticity, developmental instability, variability, and canalization.
• Developmental instability and variability may facilitate adaptive plasticity under less stressful conditions, while stability and canalization buffer performance under high stress.