Intraspecific variation in land use-related functional traits inPlantago lanceolata

Abstract

15Background and aims Intraspecific variation in functional traits is essential for the 16 evolutionary success of organisms. The co-variation between trait variation and 17 environment, as well as between different traits, can help us to understand which 18 ecological factors drive habitat adaptation, and to what extent adaptation may be 19 constrained by trait correlations and trade-offs. In managed grasslands, plants experience 20 a combination of competition, recurrent biomass removal and nutrient pulses. Each of 21 these ecological challenges requires specific plant tolerances, and populations should 22 locally adapt if intraspecific variation exists in these traits. 23Methods We studied variation in land use-related traits in the common grassland plant 24Plantago lanceolata. In a common environment, we quantified the competitive ability 25 (R*), clipping tolerance and responses to a nitrogen pulse of plants from 54 populations 26 with different land use intensities across Germany. 27 Key resultsWe found significant population differentiation in competitive ability but 28 there was little evidence that trait variation was related to land use intensity. There was a 29 positive relationship between competitive ability and clipping tolerance at the population 30 level, indicating a genetic, and possibly functional, link between these two traits. In 31 contrast, clipping tolerance and nitrogen responses were negatively correlated at the 32 levels of plant individuals, indicating a physiological trade-off between plant responses to 33 these two land-use processes. 34Conclusions Our results show that there is substantial intraspecific variation in some of 35 the key functional traits for plant success in managed grasslands, and that rapid evolution 36 and adaptation is therefore possible in these traits. 37 38

Pollinator‐mediated effects of landscape‐scale land use on grassland plant community composition and ecosystem functioning – seven hypotheses

“…above‐ground productivity; Zhang et al ., 2023) through multiple mechanisms (Bolnick et al ., 2011) and has been shown to respond to agricultural land‐use gradients. This applies both to traits related to plant growth, nutrient use and response to disturbance (Gáspár, Bossdorf & Parepa, 2020) and traits related to plant–insect interactions (Schroeder et al ., 2021). For example, within a population, intraspecific trait variability in pollinator traits could lead to portfolio effects, reducing fluctuation in population densities (Bolnick et al ., 2011) and any functional consequences, of shifts in pollinator communities.…”