Environmental and genetic variation in leaf anatomy among populations of<i>Andropogon gerardii</i>(Poaceae) along a precipitation gradient

Olsen, Jacob T.; Caudle, Keri L.; Johnson, Loretta C.; Baer, Sara G.; Maricle, Brian R.

doi:10.3732/ajb.1200628

Cited by 54 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Biomass production of C 4 grasses, including Andropogon gerardii, is significantly related to precipitation across the Great Plains (Epstein et al 1998) and in response to water availability within tallgrass prairie (Knapp et al 2001). Further, there is evidence that aboveground tissue chemistry, leaf morphology, and genetics vary among ecotypes of A. gerardii reciprocally planted along a longitudinal gradient with a two-fold increase in mean annual precipitation (MAP; Zhang et al 2012, Olsen et al 2013, Gray et al 2014. There is little consensus on how precipitation affects belowground NPP (BNPP; Hayes and Seastedt 1987, McCulley et al 2005, and no knowledge of ecotypic variation in A. gerardii belowground, where the majority of plant biomass in tallgrass prairie resides Matchett 2001, Nippert et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ecotypes were assigned to regions where the prairie collection sites were located: central Kansas (CKS), eastern Kansas (EKS), and southern Illinois (SIL). Seeds were germinated and grown in a greenhouse during the summer 2009; Olsen et al (2013) provide information on greenhouse conditions and plant care. Seedlings were transplanted into the common gardens in August 2009 according to a randomized complete block design.…”

Section: Reciprocal Common Garden Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass

Mendola

Baer

Johnson

et al. 2015

Ecology

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Abstract. Knowledge of the relative strength of evolution and the environment on a phenotype is required to predict species responses to environmental change and decide where to source plant material for ecological restoration. This information is critically needed for dominant species that largely determine the productivity of the central U.S. grassland. We established a reciprocal common garden experiment across a longitudinal gradient to test whether ecotypic variation interacts with the environment to affect growth and nitrogen (N) storage in a dominant grass. We predicted plant growth would increase from west to east, corresponding with increasing precipitation, but differentially among ecotypes due to local adaptation in all ecotypes and a greater range of growth response in ecotypes originating from west to east. We quantified aboveground biomass, root biomass, belowground net primary production (BNPP), root C:N ratio, and N storage in roots of three ecotypes of Andropogon gerardii collected from and reciprocally planted in central Kansas, eastern Kansas, and southern Illinois. Only the ecotype from the most mesic region (southern Illinois) exhibited more growth from west to east. There was evidence for local adaptation in the southern Illinois ecotype by means of the local vs. foreign contrast within a site and the home vs. away contrast when growth in southern Illinois was compared to the most distant site in central Kansas. Root biomass of the eastern Kansas ecotype was higher at home than at either away site. The ecotype from the driest region, central Kansas, exhibited the least response across the environmental gradient, resulting in a positive relationship between the range of biomass response and precipitation in ecotype region of origin. Across all sites, ecotypes varied in root C:N ratio (highest in the driest-origin ecotype) and N storage in roots (highest in the most mesic-origin ecotype). The low and limited range of biomass, higher C:N ratio of roots, and lower N storage in the central Kansas ecotype relative to the southern Illinois ecotype suggests that introducing ecotypes of A. gerardii from much drier regions into highly mesic prairie would reduce productivity and alter belowground ecosystem processes under a wide range of conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reciprocal Common Garden Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass

Mendola

Baer

Johnson

et al. 2015

Ecology

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“…In contrast, A. gerardii 's phenotypic response to higher temperature is more idiosyncratic, either increasing (Kakani & Reddy, ), decreasing (Silletti & Knapp, ), responding unimodally (Madakadze et al., ), or not responding at all (Epstein et al., ), although the direction of the response may depend on initial temperature. Consistent with these observations, A. gerardii increases in stature and productivity with increasing precipitation (Epstein et al., ; Johnson et al., ; McMillan, ; Olsen, Caudle, Johnson, Baer & Maricle, ). Tellingly, a reciprocal common garden experiment established across a ~1200 km transect from western Kansas to Illinois demonstrated local adaptation and strong genetic control over growth‐related traits in this species (e.g., biomass, height; Johnson et al., ; Mendola et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic distribution models corroborate species distribution models: A shift in the role and prevalence of a dominant prairie grass in response to climate change

Smith

Alsdurf

Knapp

et al. 2017

Global Change Biology

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Phenotypic distribution within species can vary widely across environmental gradients but forecasts of species' responses to environmental change often assume species respond homogenously across their ranges. We compared predictions from species and phenotype distribution models under future climate scenarios for Andropogon gerardii, a widely distributed, dominant grass found throughout the central United States. Phenotype data on aboveground biomass, height, leaf width, and chlorophyll content were obtained from 33 populations spanning a ~1000 km gradient that encompassed the majority of the species' environmental range. Species and phenotype distribution models were trained using current climate conditions and projected to future climate scenarios. We used permutation procedures to infer the most important variable for each model. The species-level response to climate was most sensitive to maximum temperature of the hottest month, but phenotypic variables were most sensitive to mean annual precipitation. The phenotype distribution models predict that A. gerardii could be largely functionally eliminated from where this species currently dominates, with biomass and height declining by up to ~60% and leaf width by ~20%. By the 2070s, the core area of highest suitability for A. gerardii is projected to shift up to ~700 km northeastward. Further, short-statured phenotypes found in the present-day short grass prairies on the western periphery of the species' range will become favored in the current core ~800 km eastward of their current location. Combined, species and phenotype models predict this currently dominant prairie grass will decline in prevalence and stature. Thus, sourcing plant material for grassland restoration and forage should consider changes in the phenotype that will be favored under future climate conditions. Phenotype distribution models account for the role of intraspecific variation in determining responses to anticipated climate change and thereby complement predictions from species distributions models in guiding climate adaptation strategies.

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“…Several authors have pointed out its restricted taxonomic value in Festuca (Connor 1960; Kjellqvist 1961; Aiken et al 1985; Aiken and Consaul 1995; Ramesar-Fortner et al 1995) and other grasses (Ruiz-Téllez et al 1998; Giełwanowska et al 2005; Kuzmanović et al 2012; Olsen et al 2013) because some features may be affected by ecological factors and by phenotype plasticity. However, although the identification of Festuca species using only anatomical variables is complex, most authors agree that it would reduce the possibilities of error and improve the separation of several similar taxa which were indistinguishable based on the morphology of vegetative and reproductive organs (Aiken et al 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of the leaf anatomy in cross-section in the Iberian species of Festuca L. (Poaceae) and its systematic significance

Martínez-Sagarra

Abad

Alcaraz

2017

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A study of the leaf anatomy in the species of the genus Festuca present in the Iberian Peninsula was made. A total of 68 taxa were included and 15 characters were measured in leaf cross-section. The major anatomical features of each taxonomic group were characterized, and some variability was observed in the taxa. The anatomical patterns observed were compared and discussed with the relationships suggested by the molecular analyses. The leaf outline, the presence or absence of complete girders, and the development degree of the bulliform cells were the main characters to differentiate among fescue species of the fine-leaved clade and those of the broad-leaved clade. The most useful character to segregate species groups within the different taxonomic sections was the arrangement of the sclerenchyma, and a remarkable variability of this character was found in the species of Festuca section Festuca, especially in those located in other lineages according to molecular markers. Most of the anatomical patterns were not exclusive of the sections or lineages, and only some taxa could be anatomically differentiated at species level based on a set of non-taxative characters. The discordant pattern observed in F. henriquesii, a species traditionally included in Festuca sect. Festuca that shared anatomical features with the species of “F. rubra complex”, suggests its possible inclusion in the sect. Aulaxyper pending further taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses.

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Environmental and genetic variation in leaf anatomy among populations ofAndropogon gerardii(Poaceae) along a precipitation gradient

Cited by 54 publications

References 67 publications

The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass

The role of ecotypic variation and the environment on biomass and nitrogen in a dominant prairie grass

Phenotypic distribution models corroborate species distribution models: A shift in the role and prevalence of a dominant prairie grass in response to climate change

Study of the leaf anatomy in cross-section in the Iberian species of Festuca L. (Poaceae) and its systematic significance

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