Intraspecific variation and phenotypic plasticity of olive varieties in response to contrasting environmental...

Assessing the extent of genotypic and phenotypic trait variation within a genetically diversified species is crucial to understanding how plants cope with environmental differences. We examine these components in Olea europaea L. europaea, one of the most widespread and diverse tree crops cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin, a region facing rapid climatic shifts with increasing summer drought. We compared trait values of 83 olive varieties from different Mediterranean countries, grown in two ex situ varietal collections with contrasting environments: subhumid and semi-arid climates. Ten leaf-, stem- and branch traits related to resource and water use were compared across 50 varieties within each site, and phenotypic plasticity was assessed for the 17 varieties common to them. Trait plasticity was assessed with the phenotypic dissimilarity index while varietal plasticity was assessed in multidimensional trait space with the multivariate plasticity index. Our results showed considerable phenotypic variability within (up to 59.54%) and between (up to 39.17%) sites. Varieties grown in semi-arid conditions were more conservative, showing denser leaves and wood, and thicker bark. Common varieties exhibited contrasting degrees of plasticity across traits, demonstrating that high plasticity for some traits does not necessarily imply overall plasticity. Additionally, varieties with conservative trait values were not less plastic than more acquisitive varieties. Varieties showed distinct phenotypic adjustments across sites, with trait variations indicating acclimation strategies to reduce water loss in the arid environment. Our results also suggest that acclimation to different environments occurs through the adjustment of multiple traits, complicating plasticity comparisons across varieties.