Kin discrimination causes plastic responses in floral and clonal allocation

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 292(2039)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

The composition of a plant’s neighbourhood shapes its competitive interactions. Neighbours may be related individuals due to limited seed dispersal or clonal growth, so that the ability recognize and respond presence kin is beneficial. Here, we ask whether plants plastically adjust their floral allocation in response neighbour’s identity. In species reproduces both sexually clonally, test following predictions neighbouring kin: (i) reduction display will occur minimize costly structures pollinator competition, as well mitigate inbreeding; (ii) decrease clonality resource competition overcrowding among kin. We grew focal Mimulus guttatus (syn. Erythranthe guttata ) surrounded by neighbours varying relatedness (non-kin, outcross siblings self siblings) measured suite vegetative, traits. Consistent with our predictions, reduced Moreover, increased when non-kin were high-performing. Together, demonstrate clear predictable kin, which has general implications for structure function plant neighbourhoods.

Language: Английский

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Seed-Yield Components, Reproductive Health, and Ecological Fitness of Six Snake River Wheatgrass Populations

Rangeland Ecology & Management, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 100, P. 38 - 46

Published: March 4, 2025

Language: Английский

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Special feature: Demystifying fundamental theories in ecology

The American Naturalist, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 205(3), P. 280 - 284

Published: Oct. 31, 2024

AbstractAs scientists, our collective goal is to make scientific progress in the pursuit of an absolute truth about nature universe, through a feedback loop observation, theory, and experimentation. What if major limit not science itself but rather how broadly ideas can be understood? In this introduction special feature, we highlight four articles, each tasked with demystifying key theory ecology for general audience, focus on aspects that have been misunderstood, misapplied, or underappreciated some important way. These theories are metabolic competition based consumer-resource models, mechanisms coexistence fluctuating environments, metapopulation dynamics. We point out ways which article applied best practices accessible communication as well challenges might arise (and potential solutions journals authors) when attempting publish articles deeper emphasis explanation fundamentals than traditional provide.

Language: Английский

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Nonlinear transcriptomic responses to compounded environmental changes across temperature and resources in a pest beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Journal of Insect Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(6)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Abstract Many species are experiencing drastic and multidimensional changes to their environment due anthropogenic events. These may act nonadditively on physiological life history responses, thus not be predicted by responses single dimensional environmental changes. Therefore, work is needed understand species’ multiple aspects of change. We used whole-transcriptomic RNA-Sequencing assays uncover singly-applied shifts in resource or temperature dimensions, comparison combined, change, the crop pest seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. found that change caused larger fecundity, developmental period offspring viability than additive effects 1-dimensional In addition, there was little overlap between genes differentially expressed under treatment versus altered conditions alone. Moreover, 115 exhibited significant × interaction expression, including those involved energy metabolism, detoxification, enhanced formation cuticle structural components. conclude alone cannot determine transcriptomic results highlight importance studying for understanding molecular phenotypic allow organisms insects rapidly adapt simultaneously

Language: Английский

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Increasing Aridity May Threaten the Maintenance of a Plant Defence Polymorphism

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 28(1)

Published: Dec. 31, 2024

It is unclear how environmental change influences standing genetic variation in wild populations. Here, we characterised conditions that protect versus erode polymorphic chemical defences Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a short-lived perennial wildflower. By manipulating drought and herbivory 4-year field experiment, measured the effects of driver on vital rates genotypes varying defence chemistry then assessed interacting total fitness (estimated as each genotype's lineage growth rate, λ) using demographic models. Drought interacted to shape rates, but contrasting had equivalent many environments. Defence polymorphism thus may persist under range conditions; however, ambient fall close boundary putatively environment space, increasing aridity drive populations monomorphism. Consequently, elevated intensity and/or frequency climate for B. stricta.

Language: Английский

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