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Water and nutrient availability exert selection on reproductive phenology
Rachel MacTavish1, Jill T Anderson1
1Department of Genetics and Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
American Journal of Botany
|August 29, 2022
Summary
Global change impacts plant resource availability, altering selection on flowering phenology. Boechera stricta shows strong selection for early, longer flowering, with adaptation influenced by water availability and elevation.
Area of Science:
- Plant ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Global change alters resource availability for plants.
- This shift may change adaptive landscapes and influence plant evolution.
- Understanding selection on reproductive phenology is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how novel water and nutrient combinations affect natural selection on reproductive phenology.
- Determine if these changes influence the evolution of local adaptation in Boechera stricta.
- Hypothesize that altered resource availability shifts selection patterns.
Main Methods:
- Multifactorial greenhouse study with 35 Boechera stricta accessions.
- Three soil water and two nutrient availability treatments simulating current and future conditions.
- Quantified fitness (seed count) and phenological traits (flowering time, duration, height, leaf number).
Main Results:
- Strong selection observed on heritable phenological traits.
- Selection favored earlier and longer flowering duration.
- Selection on leaf number varied with water availability; low-elevation genotypes showed higher drought fitness.
Conclusions:
- Reproductive phenology in Boechera stricta is under strong selection due to global change.
- Selection strength and direction on size traits depend on measurement (height vs. leaf number).
- Local adaptation was evident, particularly in response to drought stress.
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