| Abstract Detail
Ecology Olliff Yang, Rachael L. [1], Sheth, Seema [2], Ackerly, David [3]. Population differentiation in flowering time in Lasthenia gracilis, a widespread annual forb. The timing of cyclical life history events (phenology) is dynamic, and phenological traits can vary across a species ecological and/or geographical range. Differences in phenology among populations can be a result of genetic differentiation, variation in environment, or some combination of the two. In this study, we examine the drivers of phenological differences across a species range, focusing on common goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis, Asteraceae). To test for population differentiation in phenology, we collected seed from 21 populations across the range and examined variation in flowering time under common growth conditions in a greenhouse. We recorded the germination date, the number of days from germination to flowering, and the total number of inflorescences across the growing season. We determine that populations of L. gracilis exhibit differentiation in flowering time, with earlier flowering in populations from warmer and drier locations. We then compared population flowering response in the common environment to field flowering records sourced from herbarium specimens. Population differences in flowering time in the common environment growth conditions were similar to field flowering records in response to site conditions, and were associated with climate variables in the same direction but with a shallower slope. This pattern of response reveals that both environmental and genetic differences influence flowering time, and that these influences are aligned (i.e. co-gradient variation). Due to the existence of population differentiation in flowering traits, phenology may be important to consider in the design of conservation and land management plans, especially when sourcing L. gracilis seeds for restoration plantings.
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1 - University of California Berkeley
2 - 603 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States
3 - 1005 Valley Life Sci Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
Keywords:
phenology
population differentiation
flowering time
Lasthenia
common garden
conservation
Seed Sourcing.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: ECO7, Ecology: Reproductive Biology
Location: /
Date: Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Time: 3:00 PM(EDT)
Number: ECO7001
Abstract ID:736
Candidate for Awards:None |
