Rapid adaptation (or not) in restored plant populations

Abstract

Mismatches between the traits of a colonizing population and a novel habitat can generate strong selection, potentially resulting in rapid adaptation. However, for most colonization events, it can be difficult to detect rapid adaptation or distinguish it from nonadaptive evolutionary changes. Here, I take advantage of a replicated prairie restoration experiment to compare recently established plant populations in two closely located restored prairies to each other and to their shared source population to test for rapid adaptation. Using a reciprocal transplant experiment six years after the populations were established, I found that one restored plant population showed evidence of adaptation, outperforming the other restored population when grown at its home site. In contrast, I detected no evidence for adaptation at the other site. These findings demonstrate that while rapid adaptation can occur in colonizing plant populations, it may not be the rule. Better understanding of when adaptation may or may not occur in these contexts may help us use evolution to our advantage, potentially improving establishment of desirable species in restored habitats.

Rapid evolution of flower phenology and clonality in restored populations of multiple grassland species

“…A common garden experiment revealed that these differences are partly heritable and likely adaptive, indicating adaptive evolution. Evolution in restoration was documented previously in two annual species (Kulpa & Leger, 2013;Magnoli, 2020). We bring further evidence for two perennials, suggesting that evolution in restoration is probably rather common.…”

“…In the context of ecological restoration, first studies suggest that selection pressures at restoration sites can alter heritable phenotypic distribution of seeded species. Specifically, Kulpa & Leger (2013) detected strong selection towards smaller plant and seed size and earlier flowering in an annual grass, and Magnoli (2020) and Magnoli & Lau (2020) showed partly adaptive trait differentiation in an annual legume after seeding the same batch of seed to two restored sites. Yet, these studies focused on a single annual species each.…”

Evolution in novel environments: Do restored prairie populations experience strong selection?

“…Plants grown at the Marshall site had very low fitness compared to those grown at the Lux site, with many families not producing any seeds (Appendix : Fig. S2), due to both high mortality and low seed production of surviving plants (Magnoli, in press ). Selection did not significantly differ between sites for any trait (site × trait interactions, all P > 0.18; Appendix : Table S3).…”

“…Alternatively, we may find evidence of past selection in one population but not the other not because of differences in selection pressures, but because of differences in the populations’ capacities to respond to selection. The two populations may differ in their capacities to adapt due to differences in population size; the Marshall population has been consistently smaller than the Lux population since initial establishment (Magnoli, in press ). Smaller population size may lead to lower genetic diversity (Leimu et al 2006), which may mean that the Marshall population is less able to respond to selection than the larger, more genetically diverse Lux population.…”

An eco‐evolutionary perspective on the humpty‐dumpty effect and community restoration

“…Silliman et al 2018, Magnoli 2020 al. 2021 Piece loss (extinction) Successful 6 Cione et al 2002, Warren et al 2003*, Redi et al 2005, Sutton 2015, Brown et al 2016, Moyer and Brewer 2018.…”