Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation favor range expansion of a Neotropical palm.

ABSTRACT: One of the most intriguing questions in plant ecology is which evolutionary strategy allows widely distributed species to increase their ecological range and grow in changing environmental conditions. Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptations are major processes governing species range margins, but little is known about their relative contribution for tree species distribution in tropical forest regions. We investigated the relative role of phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation in the ecological distribution of the widespread palm Euterpe edulis in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Genetic sampling and experiments were performed in old-growth remnants of two forest types with higher (Seasonal Semideciduous Forests vs. Submontane Rainforest) and lower biogeographic association an

SUBMITTER: Brancalion PHS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6106193 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature