FAW: The Evolutionary Significance Of Physiological and Morphological Plasticity in Plantago lanceolata

植物种群生物学中的一个关键问题是 表型可塑性影响对自然选择的反应， 异质环境 一个典型的生理学例子 可塑性是生产的阳光或遮荫叶下不同 光照条件 一个特别有趣的问题是， 在一个环境中的适应性和 在不同环境下的塑料反应能力。 在这项研究中，研究人员建议检查 车前草的生理、形态和生活史特征 （>Plantago> >lanceolata>）来回答四个问题： .是否有遗传变异的反应规范内， 自然人群之间？ .自然选择的力量和方向是如何影响这些 性状随光环境而变化？ .内在的可塑性和适应性之间的关系是什么 在不同的环境中？ .是否有短期的进化反应微地理 选择压力的异质性？ 研究人员将克隆复制植物， 经历了不同的选择压力。 这些克隆将被种植并受到不同的阴影 政权。 周期性地，各种形态和 将采取生理测量来检查植物的 生理反应。 这些数据将允许检查 植物种群内和种群间的遗传变异 性状和这些性状对环境变化的反应。 将测量生殖力和存活率以确定 自然选择的强度和方向 对每个环境都感兴趣。 为了检验选择性的局部变异 压力会导致微地理进化反应， 试验性割草制度将持续五年。 每个 每年，将在每个地块生产的种子随机抽样， 在统一的条件下生长，以确定字符是否意味着 显示在差异表型选择下， 不同的治疗方法在预测的方向上变化， 连续的后代。 这项研究将整合生态遗传学和 生理生态学，从而提供有价值的 关于遗传基础和进化结果的信息 自然群体中表型可塑性的研究。

A critical question in plant population biology is how phenotypic plasticity affects response to natural selection to heterogenous environments. A classic example of physiological plasticity is the production of sun or shade leaves under different light conditions. One particularly interesting question is whether there is a trade.off between fitness within an environment and capacity for plastic response across environments. In this research, the investigator proposes to examine physiological, morphological and life history traits in Plantain (>>>Plantago> >lanceolata>) to address four questions: . Is there genetic variation for norms of reaction within and between natural populations? . How does the strength and direction of natural selection on these traits vary with light environment? . What is the relationship between plasticity and fitness within and across environments? .Is there short.term evolutionary response to microgeographic heterogeneity in selective pressures? The investigator will clonally replicate plants that have experienced different selective pressures for many generations. These clones will be planted and subjected to different shade regimes. Periodically, a variety of morphological and physiological measurements will be taken to examine the plants' physiological reactions. These data will permit the examination of genetic variation within and between populations for plant traits and for response of these traits to environmental variation. Fecundity and survivorship will be measured to determine the strength and direction of natural selection on the traits of interest in each environment. To test the hypothesis that local variation in selective pressures can lead to microgeographic evolutionary response, experimental mowing regimes will be continued for five years. Each year, a random sample of the seeds produced in each plot will be grown under uniform conditions to determine whether character means shown to be under differential phenotypic selection in the different treatments change in the predicted directions in successive offspring generations. This study will integrate ecological genetics and physiological ecology, and will thereby provide valuable information about the genetic basis and evolutionary consequences of phenotypic plasticity in natural populations.