Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i>
Many desiccation-tolerant plants are widely distributed and exposed to substantial environmental variation across their native range. These environmental differences generate site-specific selective pressures that could drive natural variation in desiccation tolerance across populations. If identifi...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/10/1332 |
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| author | Rose A. Marks Mpho Mbobe Marilize Greyling Jennie Pretorius David Nicholas McLetchie Robert VanBuren Jill M. Farrant |
| author_facet | Rose A. Marks Mpho Mbobe Marilize Greyling Jennie Pretorius David Nicholas McLetchie Robert VanBuren Jill M. Farrant |
| author_sort | Rose A. Marks |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many desiccation-tolerant plants are widely distributed and exposed to substantial environmental variation across their native range. These environmental differences generate site-specific selective pressures that could drive natural variation in desiccation tolerance across populations. If identified, such natural variation can be used to target tolerance-enhancing characteristics and identify trait associations within a common genetic background. Here, we tested for natural variation in desiccation tolerance across wild populations of the South African resurrection plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i>. We surveyed a suite of functional traits related to desiccation tolerance, leaf economics, and reproductive allocation in <i>M. flabellifolia</i> to test for trait associations and tradeoffs. Despite considerable environmental variation across the study area, <i>M. flabellifolia</i> plants were extremely desiccation tolerant at all sites, suggesting that tolerance is either maintained by selection or fixed in these populations. However, we detected notable associations between environmental variation, population characteristics, and fitness traits. Relative to mesic sites, plants in xeric sites were more abundant and larger, but were slower growing and less reproductive. The negative association between growth and reproduction with plant size and abundance pointed towards a potential growth–abundance tradeoff. The finding that <i>M. flabellifolia</i> is more common in xeric sites despite reductions in growth rate and reproduction suggests that these plants thrive in extreme aridity. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:02:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c9afda6c71d410dbe4e66d38db989462023-11-23T12:42:27ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-05-011110133210.3390/plants11101332Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i>Rose A. Marks0Mpho Mbobe1Marilize Greyling2Jennie Pretorius3David Nicholas McLetchie4Robert VanBuren5Jill M. Farrant6Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USAWelgevonden Environmental Awareness Program, Vaalwater 0530, South AfricaWaterberg Research Support Center, Vaalwater 0530, South AfricaBuffelskloof Nature Preserve, Lydenburg 1120, South AfricaDepartment of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USADepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South AfricaMany desiccation-tolerant plants are widely distributed and exposed to substantial environmental variation across their native range. These environmental differences generate site-specific selective pressures that could drive natural variation in desiccation tolerance across populations. If identified, such natural variation can be used to target tolerance-enhancing characteristics and identify trait associations within a common genetic background. Here, we tested for natural variation in desiccation tolerance across wild populations of the South African resurrection plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i>. We surveyed a suite of functional traits related to desiccation tolerance, leaf economics, and reproductive allocation in <i>M. flabellifolia</i> to test for trait associations and tradeoffs. Despite considerable environmental variation across the study area, <i>M. flabellifolia</i> plants were extremely desiccation tolerant at all sites, suggesting that tolerance is either maintained by selection or fixed in these populations. However, we detected notable associations between environmental variation, population characteristics, and fitness traits. Relative to mesic sites, plants in xeric sites were more abundant and larger, but were slower growing and less reproductive. The negative association between growth and reproduction with plant size and abundance pointed towards a potential growth–abundance tradeoff. The finding that <i>M. flabellifolia</i> is more common in xeric sites despite reductions in growth rate and reproduction suggests that these plants thrive in extreme aridity.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/10/1332desiccation toleranceabiotic stressdroughtextremophyte<i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i>resurrection plant |
| spellingShingle | Rose A. Marks Mpho Mbobe Marilize Greyling Jennie Pretorius David Nicholas McLetchie Robert VanBuren Jill M. Farrant Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> Plants desiccation tolerance abiotic stress drought extremophyte <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> resurrection plant |
| title | Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> |
| title_full | Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> |
| title_fullStr | Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> |
| title_short | Variability in Functional Traits along an Environmental Gradient in the South African Resurrection Plant <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> |
| title_sort | variability in functional traits along an environmental gradient in the south african resurrection plant i myrothamnus flabellifolia i |
| topic | desiccation tolerance abiotic stress drought extremophyte <i>Myrothamnus flabellifolia</i> resurrection plant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/10/1332 |
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