The ecology and quantitative genetics of seed and seedling traits in upland and lowland ecotypes of a perennial grass

Razzaque, Samsad; Juenger, Thomas E.

doi:10.1002/evl3.297

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Because P. hallii ecotypes co-occur in only a small portion of their geographical range [ 37 , 38 ], seed size and dormancy may be important drivers of establishment in habitats that differ in soil water availability. In a recent study in P. hallii , these traits were negatively genetically correlated, which suggests that a trade-off between the two may be important for local adaptation to xeric and mesic habitats [ 36 ]. Despite the importance of seed mass for ecotypic divergence and its strong relationship with many other life-history traits, genotype identity, which was nested within ecotype, explained the most variation in most other life-history traits, including seed number and aboveground biomass.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…hallii), one representative lowland genotype (FIL2/ var. filipes) and a recombinant population generated from their cross [34][35][36]51]. A few studies have gained additional insight into P. hallii divergence by using a broader range of natural diversity [37,38].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…filipes)-that differ in seed size and other life-history traits. To date, ecotypic divergence in P. hallii has been studied primarily by comparing a representative upland genotype (HAL2) and a representative lowland genotype (FIL2) [34][35][36], which limits our ability to understand life-history trade-offs across levels of organization. But certain environments within the distribution of P. hallii might select for different trait combinations or strategies to suit their local conditions better.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed size variation impacts local adaptation and life-history strategies in a perennial grass

2023

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Seed mass is an ecologically important trait that often differs considerably among ecotypes. Yet, because few studies examine the impacts of seed mass on adult life-history traits, its role in local adaptation is unclear. In this study, using accessions of Panicum hallii that spanned the two major ecotypes, we examined whether covariation between seed mass, seedling and reproductive traits impacts ecotypic divergence and local adaptation. The perennial grass P. hallii has two distinct ecotypes—a large-seeded upland ecotype adapted to xeric environments and a small-seeded lowland ecotype adapted to mesic environments. In the greenhouse, seed mass varied greatly across P. hallii genotypes in a manner consistent with ecotypic divergence. Seed mass covaried significantly with several seedling and reproductive traits. At field sites representing the habitats of the two ecotypes, seed mass had different impacts on seedling and adult recruitment: selection favoured large seeds in upland habitat and small seeds in lowland habitat, which was consistent with local adaptation. By demonstrating the central role of seed mass in ecotypic differences in P. hallii and its importance to seedling and adult recruitment under field conditions, these studies show that early life-history traits can promote local adaptation and potentially explain ecotype formation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed size variation impacts local adaptation and life-history strategies in a perennial grass

2023

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“…Havrilla et al, 2021;Larson et al, 2015) and the eco-evolutionary dynamics of plant life (e.g. Razzaque & Juenger, 2022;Simons, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Havrilla et al., 2021; Larson et al., 2015) and the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of plant life (e.g. Razzaque & Juenger, 2022; Simons, 2009). However, relative to the wide availability of trait data measured from adult plants in global trait databases (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitating comparable research in seedling functional ecology

Winkler,

Garbowski,

Kožić

et al. 2024

Methods Ecol Evol

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Ecologists have worked to ascribe function to the variation found in plant populations, communities and ecosystems across environments for at least the past century. The vast body of research in functional ecology has drastically improved understanding of how individuals respond to their environment, communities are assembled and ecosystems function. However, with limited exceptions, few studies have quantified differences in plant function during the earliest stages of the plant life cycle, and fewer have tested how this early variability shapes populations, communities and ecosystems. Drawing from the literature and our collective experience, we describe the current state of knowledge in seedling functional ecology and provide examples of how this subdiscipline can enrich our fundamental understanding of plant function across levels of organisation. To inspire progressive work in this area, we also outline key considerations involved in seedling functional research (who, what, when, where and how to measure seedling traits) and identify remaining challenges and gaps in understanding around methodological approaches. Within this conceptual synthesis, we highlight three critical areas in seedling ecology for future research to target. First, given wide variation in the definition of a ‘seedling’, we provide a standard definition based on seed reserve dependence while emphasising the need to measure ontogenetic variation more clearly both within and following the seedling stage. Second, studies demonstrate that seedlings can be studied in multiple media (e.g. soil, agar, filter paper) and conditions (e.g. field, greenhouse, laboratory). We recommend that researchers select methods based on explicit goals, yet follow standard guidelines to reduce methodological noise across studies. Third, research is critically needed to assess the implications of different methodologies on trait measurement and compatibility across studies. By highlighting the importance of seedling functional ecology and suggesting pathways to address key challenges, we aim to inspire future research that generates useful and comparable data on seedling functional ecology. This work is critical to explain variation within and among populations, communities and ecosystems and integrate this most vulnerable stage of plant life into ecological frameworks.

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Seeding alpine grasses in low altitude region increases global warming potential during early seedling growth

You,

Jiang,

et al. 2024

Journal of Environmental Management

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The ecology and quantitative genetics of seed and seedling traits in upland and lowland ecotypes of a perennial grass

Cited by 6 publications

References 69 publications

Seed size variation impacts local adaptation and life-history strategies in a perennial grass

Seed size variation impacts local adaptation and life-history strategies in a perennial grass

Facilitating comparable research in seedling functional ecology

Seeding alpine grasses in low altitude region increases global warming potential during early seedling growth

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