Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients

Halbritter, Aud H.; Fior, Simone; Keller, Irene; Billeter, Regula; Edwards, Peter J.; Holderegger, Rolf; Karrenberg, Sophie; Pluess, Andrea R.; Widmer, Alex; Alexander, Jake M.

doi:10.1111/jeb.13262

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients
Authors:	Halbritter, Aud H. Fior, Simone Keller, Irene Billeter, Regula Edwards, Peter J. Holderegger, Rolf Karrenberg, Sophie Pluess, Andrea R. Widmer, Alex Alexander, Jake M.
DOI:	10.1111/jeb.13262
Published in:	Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume(Issue):	31
Issue:	6
Page(s):	784
Pages to:	800
Issue Date:	2018
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Wiley
ISSN:	1010-061X 1420-9101
Language:	English
Subjects:	Altitude; Candidate loci; Cline; Common garden; Genomewide data; Reciprocal transplant experiment
Subject (DDC):	580: Plants (Botany)
Abstract:	Studies of genetic adaptation in plant populations along elevation gradients in mountains have a long history, but there has until now been neither a synthesis of how frequently plant populations exhibit adaptation to elevation nor an evaluation of how consistent underlying trait differences across species are. We reviewed studies of adaptation along elevation gradients (i) from a meta-analysis of phenotypic differentiation of three traits (height, biomass and phenology) from plants growing in 70 common garden experiments; (ii) by testing elevation adaptation using three fitness proxies (survival, reproductive output and biomass) from 14 reciprocal transplant experiments; (iii) by qualitatively assessing information at the molecular level, from 10 genome-wide surveys and candidate gene approaches. We found that plants originating from high elevations were generally shorter and produced less biomass, but phenology did not vary consistently. We found significant evidence for elevation adaptation in terms of survival and biomass, but not for reproductive output. Variation in phenotypic and fitness responses to elevation across species was not related to life history traits or to environmental conditions. Molecular studies, which have focussed mainly on loci related to plant physiology and phenology, also provide evidence for adaptation along elevation gradients. Together, these studies indicate that genetically based trait differentiation and adaptation to elevation are widespread in plants. We conclude that a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying adaptation, not only to elevation but also to environmental change, will require more studies combining the ecological and molecular approaches.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/8808
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Halbritter, A. H., Fior, S., Keller, I., Billeter, R., Edwards, P. J., Holderegger, R., Karrenberg, S., Pluess, A. R., Widmer, A., & Alexander, J. M. (2018). Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 31(6), 784–800. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13262

Halbritter, A.H. et al. (2018) ‘Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients’, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 31(6), pp. 784–800. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13262.

A. H. Halbritter et al., “Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients,” Journal of Evolutionary Biology, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 784–800, 2018, doi: 10.1111/jeb.13262.

HALBRITTER, Aud H., Simone FIOR, Irene KELLER, Regula BILLETER, Peter J. EDWARDS, Rolf HOLDEREGGER, Sophie KARRENBERG, Andrea R. PLUESS, Alex WIDMER und Jake M. ALEXANDER, 2018. Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 2018. Bd. 31, Nr. 6, S. 784–800. DOI 10.1111/jeb.13262

Halbritter, Aud H., Simone Fior, Irene Keller, Regula Billeter, Peter J. Edwards, Rolf Holderegger, Sophie Karrenberg, Andrea R. Pluess, Alex Widmer, and Jake M. Alexander. 2018. “Trait Differentiation and Adaptation of Plants along Elevation Gradients.” Journal of Evolutionary Biology 31 (6): 784–800. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13262.

Halbritter, Aud H., et al. “Trait Differentiation and Adaptation of Plants along Elevation Gradients.” Journal of Evolutionary Biology, vol. 31, no. 6, 2018, pp. 784–800, https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13262.