Microclimate predicts frost hardiness of alpine Arabidopsis thaliana populations better than elevation.

ABSTRACT: In mountain regions, topological differences on the microscale can strongly affect microclimate and may counteract the average effects of elevation, such as decreasing temperatures. While these interactions are well understood, their effect on plant adaptation is understudied. We investigated winter frost hardiness of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions originating from 13 sites along altitudinal gradients in the Southern Alps during three winters on an experimental field station on the Swabian Jura and compared levels of frost damage with the observed number of frost days and the lowest temperature in eight collection sites. We found that frost hardiness increased with elevation in a log-linear fashion. This is consistent with adaptation to a higher frequency of frost conditions, but a

SUBMITTER: Lampei C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6912909 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature