Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with global observational field data of the short-lived herb Plantago lanceolata, we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait–environment relationships. Reproductive traits (more closely related to fitness) showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns. Vegetative traits showed instead higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field-observed trait variation.
Villellas J, Ehrlén J, Crone EE, Csergő AM, Garcia MB, Laine A-L, Roach DA, Salguero-Gómez R, Wardle GM, Childs DZ, Elderd BD, Finn A, Munné-Bosch S, Bachelot B, Bódis J, Bucharova A, Caruso CM, Catford JA, Coghill M, Compagnoni A, Duncan RP, Dwyer JM, Ferguson A, Fraser LH, Griffoul E, Groenteman R, Hamre LN, Helm A, Kelly R, Laanisto L, Lonati M, Münzbergová Z, Nuche P, Olsen SL, Oprea A, Pärtel M, Petry WK, Ramula S, Rasmussen PU, Enri SR, Roeder A, Roscher C, Schultz C, Skarpaas O, Smith AL, Tack AJM, Töpper JP, Vesk PA, Vose GE, Wandrag E, Wingler A, Buckley YM (2021). Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant. Ecology Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13858, PDF.