Evolution of Annuals Under Resource Modification: Genetic Diversity and Trait Evolution Under Interacting Components of Global Change (CO2, Temperature, and Nitrogen)

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Bazzaz 9615298 Global environmental changes pose complex challenges for plants. Although some changes will occur within the lifetime of extant plants, the response to these changes will depend strongly on how populations behave. How will plant populations evolve in a change world? How will global changes alter current evolutionary process? The first focus will be on the direct selective effects global change may exert. The PIs will measure changes in selective pressures in elevated CO2 and temperature conditions in a weed, Abutilon theophrastii. The PIs will then subject 8 generations to these new selective pressures to elucidate evolutionary response to global change. Secondly, these conditions may alter response to selective pressures currently found in the plant environment. Novel conditions are likely to alter the developmental integration among traits, uncovering genetic potential for response to selection. These potential changes in the nature of correlations among traits may alter the response of plant populations to selective pressures, both by weakening tradeoffs among traits and by potentially exposing new correlation among traits. The effects of elevated CO2 levels on the response to selection will be investigated by imposing selection for particular traits in 8 generations. These experiments will suggest how plant populations will change under global change.