Genetic Differences in Plasticity Across Environmental Scales Determine Fitness Along an Ecological Gradient

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Science

Background:

• Populations often experience reduced fitness in novel environments.
• Phenotypic plasticity allows genotypes to adjust to environmental changes, aiding persistence.
• Understanding how plasticity tracks environmental variation across ecological gradients is crucial, especially in novel settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how phenotypic plasticity in different genotypes of Senecio chrysanthemifolius influences fitness in novel environments.
• To determine if specific plasticity patterns are associated with higher fitness in environments that differ from the native range.
• To explore the role of genotype-specific plasticity in tracking environmental variation at multiple ecological scales.

Main Methods:

• Transplantation of 19 genotypes of Senecio chrysanthemifolius clones across four different elevations on Mt. Etna.
• Assessment of plant fitness in both native and novel elevational ranges.
• Quantification of leaf phenotypic plasticity across and within elevational gradients.

Main Results:

• Genotypes with greater fitness in novel elevations exhibited lower variance in fitness compared to those thriving in native ranges.
• These high-performing novel genotypes displayed reduced plasticity across elevations but increased plasticity within elevations.
• A contrast was observed in plasticity patterns between genotypes adapted to native versus novel environments.

Conclusions:

• Specific genotypes possess inherent plasticity that enables effective tracking of novel environmental variations across diverse ecological scales.
• These adaptable genotypes are vital for ensuring the persistence of populations facing rapid and unpredictable environmental shifts.
• The study identifies key adaptive strategies at the genotype level crucial for ecological resilience in changing climates.