Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant
ABSTRACT Spatially divergent natural selection can drive adaptation to contrasting environments and thus the evolution of ecotypes. In perennial plants, selection shapes life history traits by acting on subsequent life stages, each contributing to fitness. While evidence of adaptation in perennial p...
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Wiley
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70454 |
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| author | Aksel Pålsson Ursina Walther Simone Fior Alex Widmer |
| author_facet | Aksel Pålsson Ursina Walther Simone Fior Alex Widmer |
| author_sort | Aksel Pålsson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Spatially divergent natural selection can drive adaptation to contrasting environments and thus the evolution of ecotypes. In perennial plants, selection shapes life history traits by acting on subsequent life stages, each contributing to fitness. While evidence of adaptation in perennial plants is common, the expression of life history traits is rarely characterized, limiting our understanding of their role in adaptive evolution. We conducted a multi‐year reciprocal transplant experiment with seedlings from low and high elevation populations of the alpine carnation Dianthus carthusianorum to test for adaptation linked to contrasting climates and inferred specific contributions of early life stages to fitness. We assessed genotype by environment interactions in single fitness components, applied matrix population models to achieve an integrated estimate of fitness through population growth rates, and performed trade‐off analyses to investigate the advantage of alternate life history traits across environments. We found evidence of genotype by environment interactions consistent with elevational adaptation at multiple stages of the early life cycle. Estimates of population growth rates corroborated a strong advantage of the local genotype. Early reproduction and survival are alternate major contributors to adaptation at low and high elevation, respectively, and are linked by trade‐offs that underlie the evolution of divergent life history traits across environments. While these traits have a strong genetic basis, foreign populations express co‐gradient plasticity, reflecting the adaptive strategy of the local populations. Our study reveals that selection associated to climate has driven the evolution of divergent life histories and the formation of elevational ecotypes. While the high energy environment and strong competition favor investment in early reproduction at low elevation, limiting resources favor a more conservative strategy relying on self‐maintenance at high elevation. The co‐gradient plasticity expressed by high‐elevation populations may facilitate their persistence under warming climatic conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7dddce86c94b43a7a06f20749a4a893e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-7dddce86c94b43a7a06f20749a4a893e2024-12-20T09:05:59ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-10-011410n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70454Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine PlantAksel Pålsson0Ursina Walther1Simone Fior2Alex Widmer3Institute of Integrative Biology ETH Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandInstitute of Integrative Biology ETH Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandInstitute of Integrative Biology ETH Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandInstitute of Integrative Biology ETH Zurich Zurich SwitzerlandABSTRACT Spatially divergent natural selection can drive adaptation to contrasting environments and thus the evolution of ecotypes. In perennial plants, selection shapes life history traits by acting on subsequent life stages, each contributing to fitness. While evidence of adaptation in perennial plants is common, the expression of life history traits is rarely characterized, limiting our understanding of their role in adaptive evolution. We conducted a multi‐year reciprocal transplant experiment with seedlings from low and high elevation populations of the alpine carnation Dianthus carthusianorum to test for adaptation linked to contrasting climates and inferred specific contributions of early life stages to fitness. We assessed genotype by environment interactions in single fitness components, applied matrix population models to achieve an integrated estimate of fitness through population growth rates, and performed trade‐off analyses to investigate the advantage of alternate life history traits across environments. We found evidence of genotype by environment interactions consistent with elevational adaptation at multiple stages of the early life cycle. Estimates of population growth rates corroborated a strong advantage of the local genotype. Early reproduction and survival are alternate major contributors to adaptation at low and high elevation, respectively, and are linked by trade‐offs that underlie the evolution of divergent life history traits across environments. While these traits have a strong genetic basis, foreign populations express co‐gradient plasticity, reflecting the adaptive strategy of the local populations. Our study reveals that selection associated to climate has driven the evolution of divergent life histories and the formation of elevational ecotypes. While the high energy environment and strong competition favor investment in early reproduction at low elevation, limiting resources favor a more conservative strategy relying on self‐maintenance at high elevation. The co‐gradient plasticity expressed by high‐elevation populations may facilitate their persistence under warming climatic conditions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70454fitness trade‐offslife table response experimentmatrix population modelsnatural selectionphenotypic plasticityreciprocal transplant experiment |
| spellingShingle | Aksel Pålsson Ursina Walther Simone Fior Alex Widmer Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant Ecology and Evolution fitness trade‐offs life table response experiment matrix population models natural selection phenotypic plasticity reciprocal transplant experiment |
| title | Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant |
| title_full | Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant |
| title_fullStr | Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant |
| title_short | Early Life History Divergence Mediates Elevational Adaptation in a Perennial Alpine Plant |
| title_sort | early life history divergence mediates elevational adaptation in a perennial alpine plant |
| topic | fitness trade‐offs life table response experiment matrix population models natural selection phenotypic plasticity reciprocal transplant experiment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70454 |
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