Range‐wide intraspecific variation reflects past adaptation to climate in a gypsophile Mediterranean shrub

Phenotypic differences among populations stem from the interaction between neutral and adaptive processes, and phenotypic plasticity. Although clinal trait variation along climatic gradients often evolves in widely distributed species, it is unknown whether substrate specialization, such as that of...

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Published in:The Journal of ecology 2024-07, Vol.112 (7), p.1533-1549
Main Authors: Blanco‐Sánchez, Mario, Ramírez‐Valiente, José Alberto, Ramos‐Muñoz, Marina, Pías, Beatriz, Franks, Steven J., Escudero, Adrián, Matesanz, Silvia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
adaptive intraspecific variation
Climate adaptation
Climate change
Climate change adaptation
Climatic conditions
Differentiation
Divergence
divergent evolution
Environmental factors
Gradients
gypsophiles
Gypsum
Leaf area
Leaves
Lepidium
local adaptation
natural selection
Phenotypic plasticity
Phenotypic variations
Plastic properties
Plasticity
population differentiation
Population genetics
Populations
QST – FST comparisons
Reproductive fitness
Substrates
Water use
Water use efficiency
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Summary:Phenotypic differences among populations stem from the interaction between neutral and adaptive processes, and phenotypic plasticity. Although clinal trait variation along climatic gradients often evolves in widely distributed species, it is unknown whether substrate specialization, such as that of Mediterranean gypsum plants, has constrained adaptation to climate. Using a common garden experiment with two contrasting watering treatments, we quantified phenotypic plasticity, assessed evidence for footprints of selection using FST – QST comparisons, and evaluated the ecological factors driving genetically based phenotypic differentiation of 11 populations encompassing the full environmental range of the gypsum shrub Lepidium subulatum. We found evidence for genetic differentiation among populations related to climatic differences, with populations from warmer and drier sites showing lower specific leaf area and leaf N, earlier phenology, greater water use efficiency and greater fitness. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this differentiation was driven by past divergent selection rather than neutral processes. All populations showed high phenotypic plasticity, indicating that plasticity has not been selected against, even in populations from sites with harsher climatic conditions. Synthesis. Our results indicate that despite strong substrate specialization, adaptive differentiation related to climatic gradients occurs in this species. However, we also found that populations from mesic sites may be particularly vulnerable to future climate change given their relatively lower fitness under both wet and dry conditions. Resumen Las diferencias fenotípicas entre poblaciones son fruto de la interacción entre los procesos evolutivos neutrales y adaptativos, y la plasticidad fenotípica. Las poblaciones de especies ampliamente distribuidas a menudo muestran diferencias fenotípicas asociadas a un determinado gradiente ambiental. Sin embargo, se desconoce si la especialización a substratos específicos, como la ocurrida en las plantas mediterráneas restringidas a suelos de yeso, ha podido limitar su adaptación al clima. Usando un experimento de jardín común con dos tratamientos contrastados de disponibilidad hídrica, hemos evaluado los patrones de plasticidad fenotípica, la evidencia de huellas de selección pasada mediante comparaciones FST ‐ QST, y los factores ecológicos involucrados en la diferenciación fenotípica de base genética de 11 poblaciones a lo largo d
ISSN:0022-0477
1365-2745
DOI:10.1111/1365-2745.14322