Intraspecific Trait Variation and Phenotypic Plasticity Mediate Alpine Plant Species Response to Climate Change

Abstract

In a rapidly changing climate, alpine plants may persist by adapting to new conditions. However, the rate at which the climate is changing might exceed the rate of adaptation through evolutionary processes in long-lived plants. Persistence may depend on phenotypic plasticity in morphology and physiology. Here we investigated patterns of leaf trait variation including leaf area, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nutrients (C, N, P) and isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) across an elevation gradient on Gongga Mountain, Sichuan Province, China. We quantified inter- and intra-specific trait variation and the plasticity in leaf traits of selected species to experimental warming and cooling by using a reciprocal transplantation approach. We found substantial phenotypic plasticity in most functional traits where δ15N, leaf area, and leaf P showed greatest plasticity. These traits did not correspond with traits with the largest amount of intraspecific variation. Plasticity in leaf functional traits tended to enable plant populations to shift their trait values toward the mean values of a transplanted plants’ destination community, but only if that population started with very different trait values. These results suggest that leaf trait plasticity is an important mechanism for enabling plants to persist within communities and to better tolerate changing environmental conditions under climate change.

Global patterns of intraspecific leaf trait responses to elevation

“…With a review of common garden experiments, Read et al (2014) found that genetic differentiation often explains a significant amount of intraspecific variation in LMA, Nmass and Narea among populations at different elevations and latitudes. However, few common garden experiments have recently highlighted the role of phenotypic plasticity to strongly mediate intraspecific plant traits' variation along elevation (Anderson & Gezon, 2015;Henn et al, 2018;Lajoie & Vellend, 2018).…”

Will the climate of plant origins influence the chemical profiles of cuticular waxes on leaves of Leymus chinensis in a common garden experiment?

“…Plant species can display high intraspecific trait variation (ITV) under different growing conditions, reflecting heritable genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity (Henn et al, ). The variations between populations may be attributed to the differences in the selective pressures imposed by different ecological environments (Still, Kim, & Aoyama, ).…”

Trait means predict performance under water limitation better than plasticity for seedlings of Poaceae species on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

“…Recently, lots of studies have highlighted the importance of intraspecific trait variation (including phenotypic plasticity and genetic variation among populations) for plants in response to environmental change and for maintaining community stability (Henn et al, ; Lajoie & Vellend, ; Nicotra et al, ; Violle et al, ). However, the plasticity of functional traits in response to different water conditions was low in our study relative to studies conducted on other flora (Sadras & Trentacoste, ), and no significant correlation was observed between the plasticity and the biomass for all species.…”

“…Recently, lots of studies have highlighted the importance of intraspecific trait variation (including phenotypic plasticity and genetic variation among populations) for plants in response to environmental change and for maintaining community stability (Henn et al, 2018;Lajoie & Vellend, 2018;Nicotra et al, 2010;Violle et al, 2012).…”