Abstract
Understanding phenotypic responses is crucial for predicting and managing the effects of environmental change on native species. Color and display size are typically used to evaluate the utilization value of ornamental plants, which are also important ornamental characters of Lonicera nervosa Maxim. (L. nervosa). However, there is limited documentation of its floral environmental adaptation. The environmental conditions for the development of an organism changes with altitudinal variation. The aim of this research was to find flower trait variability maintenance and the tradeoff among the organs in five different populations of L. nervosa growing at distinct altitudes. We investigated the distribution patterns of floral color, floral display, and biomass tradeoff along a 700-m altitude gradient from 2,950 to 3,650 m. One-way ANOVA analysis was performed to assess the variability of flower traits and floral color across different altitudes. Moreover, correlations and tradeoffs between flowers and vegetative organs were also observed at different altitude ranges. The results indicated that L. nervosa flowers had a strong adaptability along the elevation and divergent altitude-range-specific patterns, which was divided by an altitude breakpoint at around 3,300 m. Below 3,300 m, petal lightness (petal L) decreased, but total floral display area (TFDA), individual floral dry mass (IFDM), and total floral dry mass (TFDM) increased with an increase in altitude. Whereas, above 3,300 m no significant difference was observed in petal L, TFDA, IFDM, and TFDM decreased slightly with an increase in altitude. The responsibility for the selection on floral color at a lower altitude was stronger than that at a higher altitude, while the selection agents on floral biomass had significant effects within the entire altitude range. However, the effects on floral biomass were opposite on both sides of 3,300 m. Thus, floral trait and floral color can be useful indicators for the domestication of horticultural plants and help to evaluate and initiate management and conservation actions.
Highlights
Phenotype or trait is the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and phenological characteristic of an organism resulting from both genetic and environmental influences (Kattge et al, 2020)
The study shows that altitude has a significant effect on flower color and size, and one breakpoint occurred at around 3,300 m; our results indicate that the altitudinal variation tendency of the flower color and size was different but complementary
For L. nervosa, the flowers were pink to purple, and the result of petal H led to purplish red, which implied that the crucial pigment of L. nervosa was anthocyanin
Summary
Phenotype or trait is the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and phenological characteristic of an organism resulting from both genetic and environmental influences (Kattge et al, 2020). The floral part is an important reproductive organ which is strongly influenced by the environment. It attracts wide attention for its ornamental value in gardening or landscaping. Adaptation to environmental change is an important and nearly universal aspect of the biotic response to climate change (Davis et al, 2005). The mountainous region has large altitudinal gradients and provides “natural laboratories” to study the evolutionary and adaptive response of plant species to changes in the environment (Körner, 2003)
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