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Phenological sensitivity of Bromus tectorum genotypes depends on current and source environments
Megan L Vahsen1, Toby M Maxwell2,3, Dana M Blumenthal4
1Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.
Ecology
|March 17, 2025
Summary
Plant phenology is shaped by both immediate environmental conditions and evolutionary history. Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) shows rapid flowering responses to its current environment and local adaptation to climate, aiding its invasive success.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Plants exhibit both phenotypic plasticity (within-generation) and local adaptation (between-generation) in response to environmental changes.
- Understanding the relative contributions of plasticity and adaptation to plant phenology is crucial for predicting responses to global change.
- Flowering phenology, a key life-history trait, is sensitive to environmental cues and can indicate broader ecological responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of current environmental conditions versus source environment (genotype origin) on the flowering phenology of Bromus tectorum.
- To differentiate the roles of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation in shaping cheatgrass flowering times.
- To assess the impact of experimental manipulations in density and temperature on plant phenology.
Main Methods:
- A replicated common garden experiment was conducted with 92 Bromus tectorum genotypes across four locations.
- Plants were subjected to factorial treatments of low vs. high density and low vs. high temperature (2.1°C difference).
- Flowering phenology was measured, and effects of current environment (density, temperature, location) and source environment (climate of origin) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Flowering phenology was strongly influenced by the current environment; warmer temperatures and higher densities led to earlier flowering.
- Genotypes from warmer, drier source climates flowered earlier, indicating a genetically based climate cline shaped by natural selection.
- Phenology was more sensitive to current climate variations than to source climate variations, with minimal genotype-by-environment interactions.
Conclusions:
- Bromus tectorum exhibits significant phenotypic plasticity in flowering time in response to its current environment.
- Rapid local adaptation to source climate, evidenced by a climate cline, also plays a key role in flowering phenology.
- The combination of plasticity and local adaptation contributes to cheatgrass's invasive success and its ability to adapt to future environmental changes.
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