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

ABSTRACT: Plants have evolved diverse reproductive allocation strategies and seed traits to aid in dispersal, persistence in the seed bank, and establishment. In particular, seed size, dormancy, and early seedling vigor are thought to be key functional traits with important recruitment and fitness consequences across abiotic stress gradients. Selection for favored seed-trait combinations, or against maladaptive combinations, is likely an important driver shaping recruitment strategies. Here, we test for seed-trait plasticity and patterns of recruitment using two genotypes representative of contrasting upland and lowland ecotypes of Panicum hallii with field experiments in native versus foreign habitats. Furthermore, we test whether seed traits have been under directional selection in P. ha

SUBMITTER: Razzaque S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9783394 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature