Phenotypic Plasticity and Genetic Differentiation in the Demography of the Grass Anthoxanthum Odoratum

Abstract

Clonal replicates of Anthoxanthum odoratum were reciprocally transplanted between a relatively wet (mesic) and a relatively dry (xeric) site in a northern California grassland. The survival, reproductive output and growth of the transplants was followed for three growing seasons. Flowering times were measured in the first two years. Variation in mortality and total three-year reproductive output was almost completely determined by phenotypic plasticity. Total mortality over the study period was 80% at the xeric site and 30% at the mesic site (...)