Local adaptation in European populations of Arabidopsis lyrata (Brassicaceae)

• We studied local adaptation to contrasting environments usingan organism that is emerging as a model for evolutionary plantbiology—the outcrossing, perennial herb Arabidopsis lyratasubsp. petraea (Brassicaceae). With reciprocal transplant experiments,we found variation in cumulative fitness, indicating adaptivedifferentiation among populations. Nonlocal populations didnot have significantly higher fitness than the local population.Experimental sites were located in Norway (alpine), Sweden (coastal),and Germany (continental). At all sites after one year, thelocal population had higher cumulative fitness, as quantifiedby survival combined with rosette area, than at least one ofthe nonlocal populations. At the Norwegian site, measurementswere done for two additional years, and fitness differencespersisted. The fitness components that contributed most to differencesin cumulative fitness varied among sites. Relatively small rosettearea combined with a large number of inflorescences producedby German plants may reflect differentiation in life history.The results of the current study demonstrate adaptive populationdifferentiation in A. lyrata along a climatic gradient in Europe.The studied populations harbor considerable variation in severalcharacters contributing to adaptive population differentiation.The wealth of genetic information available makes A. lyrataa highly attractive system also for examining the functionaland genetic basis of local adaptation in plants.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Arabidopsis lyrata

Brassicaceae

local adaptation

plant establishment

population differentiation

reciprocal transplant experiment

Biology

Biologi

Populationsbiologi

Population Biology

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