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Galliart M, Sabates S, Tetreault H, DeLaCruz A, Bryant J, Alsdurf J, Knapp M, Bello NM, Baer SG, Maricle BR, Gibson DJ, Poland J, St Amand P, Unruh N, Parrish O, Johnson L. Adaptive genetic potential and plasticity of trait variation in the foundation prairie grass Andropogon gerardii across the US Great Plains' climate gradient: Implications for climate change and restoration. Evol Appl 2020; 13:2333-2356. [PMID: 33005227 PMCID: PMC7513703 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant response to climate depends on a species' adaptive potential. To address this, we used reciprocal gardens to detect genetic and environmental plasticity effects on phenotypic variation and combined with genetic analyses. Four reciprocal garden sites were planted with three regional ecotypes of Andropogon gerardii, a dominant Great Plains prairie grass, using dry, mesic, and wet ecotypes originating from western KS to Illinois that span 500-1,200 mm rainfall/year. We aimed to answer: (a) What is the relative role of genetic constraints and phenotypic plasticity in controlling phenotypes? (b) When planted in the homesite, is there a trait syndrome for each ecotype? (c) How are genotypes and phenotypes structured by climate? and (d) What are implications of these results for response to climate change and use of ecotypes for restoration? Surprisingly, we did not detect consistent local adaptation. Rather, we detected co-gradient variation primarily for most vegetative responses. All ecotypes were stunted in western KS. Eastward, the wet ecotype was increasingly robust relative to other ecotypes. In contrast, fitness showed evidence for local adaptation in wet and dry ecotypes with wet and mesic ecotypes producing little seed in western KS. Earlier flowering time in the dry ecotype suggests adaptation to end of season drought. Considering ecotype traits in homesite, the dry ecotype was characterized by reduced canopy area and diameter, short plants, and low vegetative biomass and putatively adapted to water limitation. The wet ecotype was robust, tall with high biomass, and wide leaves putatively adapted for the highly competitive, light-limited Eastern Great Plains. Ecotype differentiation was supported by random forest classification and PCA. We detected genetic differentiation and outlier genes associated with primarily precipitation. We identified candidate gene GA1 for which allele frequency associated with plant height. Sourcing of climate adapted ecotypes should be considered for restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mary Knapp
- State ClimatologistKansas State UniversityManhattanKSUSA
| | | | - Sara G. Baer
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of KansasLawrenceKSUSA
| | - Brian R. Maricle
- Department of Biological SciencesFort Hays State UniversityHaysKSUSA
| | - David J. Gibson
- Plant Biology and Center for EcologySouthern Illinois UniversityCarbondaleILUSA
| | - Jesse Poland
- Plant PathologyKansas State UniversityManhattanKSUSA
| | - Paul St Amand
- Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research UnitUSDA‐ARSManhattanKSUSA
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Abstract
Knowledge of the relative strength of evolution and the environment on a phenotype is required to predict species responses to environmental change and decide where to source plant material for ecological restoration. This information is critically needed for dominant species that largely determine the productivity of the central U.S. grassland. We established a reciprocal common garden experiment across a longitudinal gradient to test whether ecotypic variation interacts with the environment to affect growth and nitrogen (N) storage in a dominant grass. We predicted plant growth would increase from west to east, corresponding with increasing precipitation, but differentially among ecotypes due to local adaptation in all ecotypes and a greater range of growth response in ecotypes originating from west to east. We quantified aboveground biomass, root biomass, belowground net primary production (BNPP), root C:N ratio, and N storage in roots of three ecotypes of Andropogon gerardii collected from and reciprocally planted in central Kansas, eastern Kansas, and s6uthern Illinois. Only the ecotype from the most mesic region (southern Illinois) exhibited more growth from west to east. There was evidence for local adaptation in the southern Illinois ecotype by means of the local vs. foreign contrast within a site and the home vs. away contrast when growth in southern Illinois was compared to the most distant 'site in central Kansas. Root biomass of the eastern Kansas ecotype was higher at home than at either away site. The ecotype from the driest region, central Kansas, exhibited the least response across the environmental gradient, resulting in a positive relationship between the range of biomass response and precipitation in ecotype region of origin. Across all sites, ecotypes varied in root C:N ratio (highest in the driest-origin ecotype) and N storage in roots (highest in the most mesic-origin ecotype). The low and limited range of biomass, higher C:N ratio of roots, and lower N storage in the central Kansas ecotype relative to the southern Illinois ecotype suggests that introducing ecotypes of A. gerardii from much drier regions into highly mesic prairie would reduce productivity and alter belowground ecosystem processes under a wide range of conditions.
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Johnson LC, Olsen JT, Tetreault H, DeLaCruz A, Bryant J, Morgan TJ, Knapp M, Bello NM, Baer SG, Maricle BR. Intraspecific variation of a dominant grass and local adaptation in reciprocal garden communities along a US Great Plains' precipitation gradient: implications for grassland restoration with climate change. Evol Appl 2015; 8:705-23. [PMID: 26240607 PMCID: PMC4516422 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying suitable genetic stock for restoration often employs a 'best guess' approach. Without adaptive variation studies, restoration may be misguided. We test the extent to which climate in central US grasslands exerts selection pressure on a foundation grass big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), widely used in restorations, and resulting in local adaptation. We seeded three regional ecotypes of A. gerardii in reciprocal transplant garden communities across 1150 km precipitation gradient. We measured ecological responses over several timescales (instantaneous gas exchange, medium-term chlorophyll absorbance, and long-term responses of establishment and cover) in response to climate and biotic factors and tested if ecotypes could expand range. The ecotype from the driest region exhibited greatest cover under low rainfall, suggesting local adaptation under abiotic stress. Unexpectedly, no evidence for cover differences between ecotypes exists at mesic sites where establishment and cover of all ecotypes were low, perhaps due to strong biotic pressures. Expression of adaptive differences is strongly environment specific. Given observed adaptive variation, the most conservative restoration strategy would be to plant the local ecotype, especially in drier locations. With superior performance of the most xeric ecotype under dry conditions and predicted drought, this ecotype may migrate eastward, naturally or with assistance in restorations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob T Olsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Mary Knapp
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS, USA
| | - Nora M Bello
- Statistics, Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS, USA
| | - Sara G Baer
- Plant Biology and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, IL, USA
| | - Brian R Maricle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS, USA
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Martin NM, Maricle BR. Species-specific enzymatic tolerance of sulfide toxicity in plant roots. Plant Physiol Biochem 2015; 88:36-41. [PMID: 25635761 PMCID: PMC4339417 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Toxic effects of sulfide come from a poisoning of a number of enzymes, especially cytochrome c oxidase, which catalyzes the terminal step in mitochondrial aerobic respiration. Despite this, some estuarine plants live in sulfide-rich sediments. We hypothesized estuarine and flooding-tolerant species might be more tolerant of sulfide compared to upland species, and this was tested by measures of root cytochrome c oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities in extracts exposed to sulfide. Enzyme activities were measured in 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μM sodium sulfide, and compared among 17 species of plants. Activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase were both reduced by increasing sulfide concentration, but cytochrome c oxidase was more sensitive to sulfide compared to alcohol dehydrogenase. Activities of cytochrome c oxidase were reduced to near zero at 5-10 μM sulfide whereas alcohol dehydrogenase activities were only reduced by about 50% at 10 μM sulfide. All species were sensitive to increasing sulfide, but to different degrees. Cytochrome c oxidase in flooding-sensitive species was decreased to near zero activity at 5 μM sulfide, whereas activities in some flooding-tolerant species were still detectable until 15 μM sulfide. Cytochrome c oxidase activities in some estuarine species were low even in the absence of sulfide, perhaps an adaptation to avoid sulfide vulnerability in their native, sulfide-rich habitat. This illustrates the potent metabolic effects of sulfide, and this is the first demonstration of varying sensitivities of cytochrome c oxidase to sulfide across organisms, making these data of novel importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA
| | - Brian R Maricle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, 67601-4099, USA.
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Gray MM, St Amand P, Bello NM, Galliart MB, Knapp M, Garrett KA, Morgan TJ, Baer SG, Maricle BR, Akhunov ED, Johnson LC. Ecotypes of an ecologically dominant prairie grass (Andropogon gerardii) exhibit genetic divergence across the U.S. Midwest grasslands' environmental gradient. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:6011-28. [PMID: 25370460 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is an ecologically dominant grass with wide distribution across the environmental gradient of U.S. Midwest grasslands. This system offers an ideal natural laboratory to study population divergence and adaptation in spatially varying climates. Objectives were to: (i) characterize neutral genetic diversity and structure within and among three regional ecotypes derived from 11 prairies across the U.S. Midwest environmental gradient, (ii) distinguish between the relative roles of isolation by distance (IBD) vs. isolation by environment (IBE) on ecotype divergence, (iii) identify outlier loci under selection and (iv) assess the association between outlier loci and climate. Using two primer sets, we genotyped 378 plants at 384 polymorphic AFLP loci across regional ecotypes from central and eastern Kansas and Illinois. Neighbour-joining tree and PCoA revealed strong genetic differentiation between Kansas and Illinois ecotypes, which was better explained by IBE than IBD. We found high genetic variability within prairies (80%) and even fragmented Illinois prairies, surprisingly, contained high within-prairie genetic diversity (92%). Using Bayenv2, 14 top-ranked outlier loci among ecotypes were associated with temperature and precipitation variables. Six of seven BayeScanFST outliers were in common with Bayenv2 outliers. High genetic diversity may enable big bluestem populations to better withstand changing climates; however, population divergence supports the use of local ecotypes in grassland restoration. Knowledge of genetic variation in this ecological dominant and other grassland species will be critical to understanding grassland response and restoration challenges in the face of a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M Gray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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Olsen JT, Caudle KL, Johnson LC, Baer SG, Maricle BR. Environmental and genetic variation in leaf anatomy among populations of Andropogon gerardii (Poaceae) along a precipitation gradient. Am J Bot 2013; 100:1957-1968. [PMID: 24061213 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Phenotypes of two Andropogon gerardii subspecies, big bluestem and sand bluestem, vary throughout the prairie ecosystem of North America. This study sought to determine the role of genetics and environment in driving adaptive variation of leaf structure in big bluestem and sand bluestem. • METHODS Four populations of big bluestem and one population of sand bluestem were planted in common gardens at four sites across a precipitation gradient from western Kansas to southern Illinois. Internal leaf structure and trichome density of A. gerardii were examined by light microscopy to separate genetic and environmentally controlled traits. Leaf thickness, midrib thickness, bulliform cells, interveinal distance, vein size, and trichome density were quantified. • KEY RESULTS At all planting sites, sand bluestem and the xeric population of A. gerardii had thicker leaves and fewer bulliform cells compared with mesic populations. Environment and genetic source population were both influential for leaf anatomy. Leaves from plants grown in mesic sites (Carbondale, Illinois and Manhattan, Kansas) had thicker midribs, larger veins, fewer trichomes, and a greater proportion of bulliform cells compared to plants grown in drier sites (Colby and Hays, Kansas). • CONCLUSIONS Water availability has driven adaptive variation in leaf structure in populations of A. gerardii, particularly between sand bluestem and big bluestem. Genetically based differences in leaves of A. gerardii indicate adaptive variation and evolutionary forces differentiating sand bluestem from big bluestem. Environmental responses of A. gerardii leaves suggest an ability to adjust to drought, even in populations adapted to mesic home environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob T Olsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas 67601, USA
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Maricle BR. Changes in Chlorophyll Content and Antioxidant Capacity During Dark to Light Transitions in Etiolated Seedlings: Comparisons of Species and Units of Enzyme Activity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1660/062.113.0304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Maricle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas 67601-4099
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Maricle BR, Koteyeva NK, Voznesenskaya EV, Thomasson JR, Edwards GE. Diversity in leaf anatomy, and stomatal distribution and conductance, between salt marsh and freshwater species in the C(4) genus Spartina (Poaceae). New Phytol 2009; 184:216-233. [PMID: 19522838 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02903.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Leaf anatomy, stomatal density, and leaf conductance were studied in 10 species of Spartina (Poaceae) from low versus high salt marsh, and freshwater habitats. Internal structure, external morphology, cuticle structure, and stomatal densities were studied with light and electron microscopy. Functional significance of leaf structure was examined by measures of CO(2) uptake and stomatal distributions. All species have Kranz anatomy and C(4)delta(13)C values. Freshwater species have thin leaves with small ridges on adaxial sides and stomata on both adaxial and abaxial sides. By contrast, salt marsh species have thick leaves with very pronounced ridges on the adaxial side and stomata located almost exclusively on adaxial leaf surfaces. Salt marsh species also have a thicker cuticle on the abaxial than on the adaxial side of leaves, and CO(2) uptake during photosynthesis is restricted to the adaxial leaf surface. Salt marsh species are adapted to controlling water loss by having stomata in leaf furrows on the adaxial side, which increases the boundary layer, and by having large leaf ridges that fit together as the leaf rolls during water stress. Differences in structural-functional features of photosynthesis in Spartina species are suggested to be related to adaptations to saline environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Maricle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601-4099, USA
| | - Nuria K Koteyeva
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena V Voznesenskaya
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Joseph R Thomasson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601-4099, USA
| | - Gerald E Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
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