Selection and plasticity both account for interannual variation in life-history phenology in an annual prairie legume.

ABSTRACT: As the environment changes, so too must plant communities and populations if they are to persist. Life-history transitions and their timing are often the traits that are most responsive to changing environmental conditions. To compare the contributions of plasticity and natural selective response to variation in germination and flowering phenology, we performed a quantitative genetic study of phenotypic selection on Chamaecrista fasciculata (Fabaceae) across two consecutive years in a restored tallgrass prairie. The earliest dates of germination and flowering were recorded for two parental cohorts and one progeny cohort in an experimental garden. Environmental differences between years were the largest contributors to phenological variation in this population. In addition, there was

SUBMITTER: Nashoba AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6988531 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature