Plasticity In Traits Research Articles

Intercropping generates trait plasticity, which corresponds with year‐to‐year stability in productivity

Abstract Environmentally friendly approaches to increasing food production include using the positive effects of plant biodiversity, such as in intercropping. Functional traits are key drivers of these positive effects, in part because variation in functional traits can increase niche partitioning. However, we know little about how variation in functional traits affects the long‐term stability of yield in agroecosystems. We conducted a 5‐year field experiment with five different cropping systems; maize/peanut, maize/soybean intercropping, and maize, peanut and soybean monocultures. We compared the productivity of monocultures to intercrops and then compared plasticity in functional traits at different rates of nitrogen supply between the cropping systems. Intercropping generated plasticity, measured here as the inverse of the coefficient of variation, in three functional traits of maize (height, stem diameter and ear height), which probably increases above‐ground spatial niche differentiation, and decreases the intraspecific competition of maize. Intercropping also increased the stability of grain yield and above‐ground biomass. Plasticity in functional traits of maize correlated positively with year‐to‐year temporal stability (CV−1) of grain yield and biomass of maize and with the total productivity of the agroecosystem. Synthesis and applications. Our study provides evidence of the greater productivity and temporal stability of species‐diverse intercropping systems. Interspecific interaction‐induced plasticity suggests a unique mechanism for biodiversity effects on ecosystem function, which adds to our understanding of fixed, or inherent, variation in traits among genotypes or species. Theoretically, our findings provide novel insights into how interspecific interactions contribute to ecosystem service, especially in yield temporal stability, by increased trait plasticity of the dominant crop, maize. The results also had implications for applying intercropping in the sustainable management of food‐production systems with the use of more crop species. Greater stability in production has the potential to provide a stable income for farmers.

Soil microbes influence the ecology and evolution of plant plasticity.

Stress often induces plant trait plasticity, and microbial communities also alter plant traits. Therefore, it is unclear how much plasticity results from direct plant responses to stress vs indirect responses due to stress-induced changes in soil microbial communities. To test how microbes and microbial community responses to stress affect the ecology and potentially the evolution of plant plasticity, I grew plants in four stress environments (salt, herbicide, herbivory, and no stress) with microbes that had responded to these same environments or with sterile inoculant. Plants delayed flowering under stress only when inoculated with live microbial communities, and this plasticity was maladaptive. However, microbial communities responded to stress in ways that accelerated flowering across all environments. Microbes also affected the expression of genetic variation for plant flowering time and specific leaf area, as well as genetic variation for plasticity of both traits, and disrupted a positive genetic correlation for plasticity in response to herbicide and herbivory stress, suggesting that microbes may affect the pace of plant evolution. Together, these results highlight an important role for soil microbes in plant plastic responses to stress and suggest that microbes may alter the evolution of plant plasticity.

Intraspecific and intra-individual chemodiversity and phenotypic integration of terpenes across plant parts and development stages in an aromatic plant.

Some plant species produce an extraordinary diversity of specialized metabolites. The diverse class of terpenes is characteristic for many aromatic plants, and terpenes can occur as both emitted volatiles and stored compounds. Little is known about how intraspecific chemodiversity and phenotypic integration of both emitted volatile and stored terpenes differ intra-individually across plant development and between different plant parts, and studies considering both spatial and temporal scales are scarce. To comprehensively investigate this diversity, we used the aromatic plant Tanacetum vulgare that differs in foliar terpene composition, forming chemotypes. We collected emitted volatile terpenes of both young and old leaves during the rosette, elongated stem, and flowering stage as well as emitted volatiles of flower heads at the flowering stage. Moreover, at the flowering stage, stored terpenes were extracted from different plant parts, including roots. Terpene profiles were measured with (TD)-GC-MS. The composition of emitted volatile terpenes depended on the specific combination of chemotype, plant part, and time point; the chemodiversity of emitted volatiles was mainly affected by the development stage, indicating that at specific development stages individuals require a higher chemodiversity, potentially to mediate different interactions. For stored terpenes, intra-individual differences, mostly between aboveground and belowground plant parts, were found only for specific components of chemodiversity, such as richness and evenness, but not for functional Hill diversity. Phenotypic integration differed mainly across development stage and plant part for emitted volatile terpenes, and across chemotype and plant part for stored terpenes. Our results suggest that intraspecific chemodiversity of terpenes and their integration is a highly plastic trait that may be shaped in dependence of interactions with the environment, and the value that each plant part contributes to the fitness of an individual. Such variation on different scales, both spatially and temporally, should be considered in chemical ecological studies.

A review of the empirical evidence for costs of plasticity in ectothermic animals.

Phenotypic plasticity can represent a vital adaptive response to environmental stressors, including those associated with climate change. Despite its evolutionary advantages, the expression of plasticity varies significantly within and among species, and is likely to be influenced by local environmental conditions. This variability in plasticity has important implications for evolutionary biology and conservation physiology. Theoretical models suggest that plasticity might incur intrinsic fitness costs, although the empirical evidence is inconsistent and there is ambiguity in the term 'cost of plasticity'. Here, we systematically review the literature to investigate the prevalence of costs associated with phenotypic plasticity in ectothermic animals. We categorized studies into those assessing 'costs of phenotype' (trade-offs between different plastic trait values) and 'costs of plasticity' (intrinsic costs of the capacity for plasticity). Importantly, the experimental designs required to detect costs of plasticity are inherently more complex and onerous than those required to detect costs of phenotype. Accordingly, our findings reveal a significant focus on costs of phenotype over costs of plasticity, with the former more frequently detecting costs. Contrary to theoretical expectations, our analysis suggests that costs of plasticity are neither universal nor widespread. This raises questions about the evolutionary dynamics of plasticity, particularly in stable environments. Our analysis underscores the need for precise terminology and methodology in researching costs of plasticity, to avoid conflating costs associated with plastic traits with costs more intrinsic to plasticity. Understanding these nuances is crucial for predicting how species might adapt to rapidly changing environments.

Plasticity of metamorphic traits in the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans: interactive effects of food quality and zinc pollution

Organisms with complex life cycles, like amphibians, are greatly affected by environmental factors and maternal effects, which in turn influence their morphological variation. The Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans is found throughout East Asia and is not only valued for its economic medicinal properties in China but also considered a potential indicator species for assessing environmental pollution in inland rivers. However, the specific responses of this species to environmental toxicants, including trace metals, are not well comprehended at present. In this study, we experimentally examined the plasticity in larval period, body mass and size, and survival at metamorphosis in tadpoles of B. gargarizans under different combinations of food quality and zinc (Zn). We found that larval period, survival, SVL and mass at metamorphosis were sensitive to food quality, larval period increased significantly with increasing Zn concentration. The interaction between food quality and zinc primarily influenced the larval period. Tadpoles that were fed a high-energy diet, rich in protein and lipids, tended to have a shorter larval period as zinc concentration increased. Conversely, tadpoles fed a low-energy diet had a longer larval period with increasing zinc concentration. Thus, zinc plays a role in determining the extent to which food quality affects development of B. gargarizans. Additionally, larvae that consume a low-energy diet tend to have higher survival rates as zinc concentration increases, suggesting that moderate levels of zinc concentration (below 150 μg/L) are beneficial for normal physiological and biochemical processes in these organisms. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into the toxicological responses of this species to trace metals, contributing to a better understanding of their impact. Keywords: Bufo gargarizans, acute toxic effect, zinc, interaction effects, age and size at metamorphosis, phenotypic plasticity

Functional traits of Ziziphus mucronata below mistletoe-infected trees in a semi-arid African savanna

Mistletoes are increasingly associated with elevated leaf litter, soil nutrients, and soil moisture, resources which influence variations in plant functional traits. Despite this recognition, variations in the functional traits of understorey plants with overstorey (host) tree mistletoe infection are yet to be examined. Here, we measured the different functional traits (height, stem diameter, canopy area, leaf area, specific leaf area, whole-leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and chlorophyll content) of Ziziphus mucronata, a dominant woody plant beneath mistletoe-infected Vachellia karroo trees in semi-arid savanna. Two-sample t-tests were used to compare host size, mistletoe infection intensity, and trait variables between low and high mistletoe-infected trees. The relationships between Ziziphus mucronata functional traits vs. host tree diameter and the number of mistletoes per tree were explored using regression analysis and visualized using a regression biplot based on a redundancy analysis (RDA). Host tree height, canopy area, and canopy volume were strongly positively (r > 0.7, p < 0.05) related to mistletoe infection intensity. While most of the traits did not vary with mistletoe infection, the chlorophyll content and leaf area of understorey Z. mucronata increased with host tree size, being greater beneath high than low mistletoe-infected trees. These variations are linked to changes in limiting resources such as light, soil nutrients, and soil moisture due to accumulation of mistletoes and increase in size as the host tree ages. As a result, the understorey plants shifted from being resource conservative to being acquisitive as limiting resources increased. The general lack of trait plasticity in understorey Z. mucronata suggests that plastic allocation responses may not be a general consequence of mistletoe infection.

Natural selection on floral volatiles and other traits can change with snowmelt timing and summer precipitation.

Climate change is disrupting floral traits that mediate mutualistic and antagonistic species interactions. Plastic responses of these traits to multiple shifting conditions may be adaptive, depending on natural selection in new environments. We manipulated snowmelt date over three seasons (3-11 d earlier) in factorial combination with growing-season precipitation (normal, halved, or doubled) to measure plastic responses of volatile emissions and other floral traits in Ipomopsis aggregata. We quantified how precipitation and early snowmelt affected selection on traits by seed predators and pollinators. Within years, floral emissions did not respond to precipitation treatments but shifted with snowmelt treatment depending on the year. Across 3 yr, emissions correlated with both precipitation and snowmelt date. These effects were driven by changes in soil moisture. Selection on several traits changed with earlier snowmelt or reduced precipitation, in some cases driven by predispersal seed predation. Floral trait plasticity was not generally adaptive. Floral volatile emissions shifted in the face of two effects of climate change, and the new environments modulated selection imposed by interacting species. The complexity of the responses underscores the need for more studies of how climate change will affect floral volatiles and other floral traits.

Different functional responses in populations of Polylepis quadrijuga (Rosaceae) as a consequence of anthropogenic disturbance

The monodominant forests of Polylepis quadrijuga, endemic to the páramos of the eastern cordillera in the Colombian Andes, are among the most threatened in South America due to fragmentation and anthropogenic degradation. Despite their role in regulating water flow and forming biodiverse, endemic biotic communities, there are few studies on their functional responses to stress caused by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. In this study, we evaluate how six different populations of P. quadrijuga with distinct levels of anthropogenic disturbance (low and high) change 11 foliar, stem, and root functional traits. Also, the physicochemical properties of the soils were analyzed, and mycorrhizal colonization was quantified to evaluate how each population responds to the stress conditions. The results indicated that populations with lower disturbance levels exhibit a conservative leaf trait configuration, whereas those with higher disturbance levels adopt an acquisitive strategy, potentially making them more vulnerable. Additionally, we found no functional coordination between above- and belowground traits. The results also highlight a lower percentage of arbuscular mycorrhizarl fungi (AMF) colonization in sites with a high level of disturbance. Our findings show P. quadrijuga’s sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance and its resilience, demonstrated by high plasticity in aboveground traits. Conservation efforts for this endangered species should focus on fragmented populations and those under stress from grazing or agriculture, aiming to create connectivity and promote its establishment

Molecular underpinnings of plasticity and supergene-mediated polymorphism in fire ant queens.

Characterizing molecular underpinnings of plastic traits and balanced polymorphisms represent two important goals of evolutionary biology. Fire ant gynes (pre-reproductive queens) provide an ideal system to study potential links between these phenomena because they exhibit both supergene-mediated polymorphism and nutritional plasticity in weight and colony-founding behavior. Gynes with the inversion supergene haplotype are lightweight and depend on existing workers to initiate reproduction. Gynes with only the ancestral, non-inverted gene arrangement accumulate more nutrient reserves as adults and, in a distinct colony-founding behavior, initiate reproduction without help from workers. However, when such gynes overwinter in the natal nest they develop an environmentally induced lightweight phenotype and colony-founding behavior, similar to gynes with the inversion haplotype that have not overwintered. To evaluate the extent of shared mechanisms between plasticity and balanced polymorphism in fire ant gyne traits, we assessed whether genes with expression variation linked to overwintering plasticity may be affected by evolutionary divergence between supergene haplotypes. To do so, we first compared transcriptional profiles of brains and ovaries from overwintered and non-overwintered gynes to identify plasticity-associated genes. These genes were enriched for metabolic and behavioral functions. Next, we compared plasticity-associated genes to those differentially expressed by supergene genotype, revealing a significant overlap of the two sets in ovarian tissues. We also identified sequence substitutions between supergene variants of multiple plasticity-associated genes, consistent with a scenario in which an ancestrally plastic phenotype responsive to an environmental condition became increasingly genetically regulated.

Leaf-level physiological strategies related to productivity and plasticity of Populus in the Southeastern United States

IntroductionPopulus and its hybrids are attractive bioenergy crops and the southeastern United States has broad ability to supply bioenergy markets with woody biomass. Breeding and hybridization have led to superior eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall) and hybrid poplars adapted to a wide variety of site types not suited for agricultural production. In order to maximize productivity and minimize inputs, genotypes need to efficiently use available site resources and tolerate environmental stresses. In addition, we need to determine plasticity of traits and their coordination across sites to select traits that will broadly characterize genotypes. Therefore, our study objectives were to determine (1) which leaf traits were correlated with growth, (2) if traits and genotypes exhibited significant plasticity across sites, and (3) how traits were coordinated within and across sites and Populus taxa.MethodsWe measured trees at two sites in northeastern Mississippi, United States: one upland and one alluvial terrace site. Genotypes included eastern cottonwoods as well as F1 crosses of eastern cottonwood and P. maximowiczii (Henry), P. nigra (L.) and P. trichocarpa (Torr. &amp;amp; Gray).ResultsWe found that sites differed in which leaf traits were correlated with productivity; with water use efficiency specifically being positively correlated with growth at an alluvial terrace site, but negatively correlated with growth at an upland site. Tree height growth, leaf isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N), as well as leaf mass per area (LMA) exhibited the least plasticity across sites, while physiological gas exchange parameters and leaf nitrogen concentration exhibited the highest plasticity. Broadly across taxa, leaf carbon isotope ratios were correlated with intrinsic water use efficiency, and stomatal conductance was positively correlated with photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency across sites, while leaf nitrogen isotope ratios exhibited contrasting relationships with leaf nitrogen concentration.DiscussionOverall, these results allow us to refine selections of productive genotypes based on site conditions and site-specific relationships with physiological parameters to better match Populus taxa with sites and landowner objectives.

Individual variation and selection for phenotypic plasticity of laying date and clutch size across different environmental conditions in Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor).

Several studies have emphasized that phenotypic plasticity should be a key mechanism to cope with current rapid environmental changes by allowing individuals to quickly express new adaptive phenotypes. Yet, few studies have investigated the evolutionary potential of plasticity for multiple traits simultaneously and using several different environmental variables. Here, we assess the extent of variation in, and the selection acting on phenotypic plasticity of key ecological traits, laying date and clutch size, using five environmental variables, in a Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) population monitored since 2004. While we found some variation among females in their mean laying date and plasticity, we found evidence of selection acting only on mean laying date. We found no variation among females in mean clutch size or plasticity, such that we could not assess selection acting on either. Our results suggest that the evolutionary potential of plasticity in the population under study is limited, especially for clutch size. More studies investigating plasticity in wild populations and incorporating multiple traits and environmental variables are needed to understand future responses of animal populations to environmental changes.

Plant Architecture Optimizes the Trait-Based Description and Classification of Vegetation.

Trait-based approaches offer valuable perspectives for vegetation classification, but functional traits struggle to capture resource allocation among competing plants, showing limitations across scales. This study aimed to introduce plant architecture to enhance trait-based vegetation classification. Based on a forest transect survey along China's eastern coast from 2021 to 2023, data from 32 plots of coastal dwarf forests (CDF), characterized primarily by reduced plant height, and normal noncoastal dwarf forests (NCDF) were obtained. Their community characteristics were quantified, and classification and clustering models assessed the advantages of plant architecture in distinguishing these communities. The results indicated plant architecture traits are more critical for distinguishing different community types than leaf-based functional traits. Additionally, plant architecture traits are effective in clustering plant associations within the same community type. Because plant architectural traits are closely linked to habitat, phylogeny and community structure, providing a comprehensive description of vegetation. In contrast, traditional plant functional traits primarily reflect habitat information related to soil nutrients. Our findings underscore the importance of plant architecture in optimizing trait-based vegetation classification and suggest that variations in the plasticity of plant architecture traits may support the classification of CDF as a distinct vegetation unit.

Plasticity in Hydraulic Architecture: Riparian Trees Respond to Increased Temperatures With Genotype-Specific Adjustments to Leaf Traits.

Climate means and variability are shifting rapidly, leading to mismatches between climate and locally adapted plant traits. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a plant to respond to environmental conditions within a lifetime, may provide a buffer for plants to persist under increasing temperature and water stress. We used two reciprocal common gardens across a steep temperature gradient to investigate plasticity in six populations of Fremont cottonwood, an important foundation tree species in arid riparian ecosystems. We investigated two components of leaf hydraulic architecture: Leaf venation and stomatal morphology, both of which regulate leaf water potential and photosynthesis. These traits will likely affect plant performance under climate stressors, but it is unclear whether they are controlled by genetic or environmental factors and whether they respond to the environment in parallel or independent directions. We found that: (1) Populations had divergent responses to a hotter growing environment, increasing or decreasing vein density. (2) Populations showed surprisingly independent responses of venation vs. stomatal traits. (3) As a result of these different responses, plasticity in hydraulic architecture traits was not predictable from historic climate conditions at population source locations and often varied substantially within populations. (4) Hydraulic architecture was clearly linked to growth, with higher vein and stomatal density predicting greater tree growth in the hottest growing environment. However, higher plasticity in these traits did not increase average growth across multiple environments. Thus, P. fremontii populations and genotypes vary in their capacity to adjust their leaf hydraulic architecture and support growth in contrasting environments, but this plasticity is not clearly predictable or beneficial. Identifying genotypes suitable for future conditions will depend on the relative importance of multiple traits and on both evolutionary and ecological responses to changing temperature and water availability.

Physiological plasticity and life history traits affect Chamelea gallina acclimatory responses during a marine heatwave.

The striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) is a relevant economic resource in the Adriatic Sea. This study explored the physiological status of C. gallina at four sites selected along a gradient from high to low incidence of recorded historical mortality events and low to high productivity in the Northwestern Adriatic Sea. Investigations were performed during the marine heatwave in 2022 (from July to November). The optimal temperature range for C. gallina was exceeded in July and September, exacerbating stress conditions and a poor nutritional status, particularly at the low productivity sites. Transcriptional profiles assessed in digestive glands showed that clams from the low productivity sites up-regulated transcripts related to feeding/digestive functions as a possible compensatory mechanism to withstand adverse environmental conditions. Clams from the high productivity sites, that in a previous study showed enrichment of health-promoting microbiome components, displayed a healthier metabolic makeup (IDH up-regulation) and induction of protective antioxidant and immune responses. These features are hallmarks of putative enhanced resilience of the species towards environmental stress. Despite the well-known high sensitivity of C. gallina to environmental variations and its narrow window of acclimatory potential, results highlight that local conditions may influence physiological plasticity of this clam species and shape either positively or negatively its response capabilities to environmental changes. The identification of health-promoting endogenous mechanisms both from the animal (this study) and from its associated microbiome may provide the foundation for developing novel tools and strategies to improve clam health and production in low productivity areas or under adverse environmental conditions.

CMTM7 shapes the chronic inflammatory and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma as an M2 macrophage biomarker

Transmembrane domain-containing 7 (CMTM7) is a protein located at the plasma membrane. It plays a role in regulating the development and immune microenvironment of tumor cells. However, the impact of CMTM7 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well understood. To better understand the role of CMTM7 in HCC, the correlations of CMTM7 with clinical characteristics, patient prognosis, chronic inflammation, and immune cell infiltration were analyzed using tissue microarray slides, sequencing datasets and various analysis tools (Web). The bulk sequencing analysis indicated that elevated expression of CMTM7 appears to promote chronic inflammation, immunosuppression, M2 macrophage infiltration, a diminished response to cancer immunotherapy, and an unfavorable clinical prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Further investigation through single-cell RNA sequencing and multiple fluorescence staining demonstrated that CMTM7 serves as a molecular marker for M2 macrophages and is associated with T cell exhaustion as well as highly plastic stem-like characteristics. We propose that CMTM7 may represent a novel immune checkpoint for HCC patients experiencing suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. Utilizing the Connectivity Map and AutoDock Vina, we predicted two potential compounds targeting CMTM7—fasudil and arachidonyltrifluoromethane—as promising therapeutic candidates. Collectively, these findings suggest that CMTM7-positive macrophages play significant roles in establishing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment while promoting highly plastic and stem-like traits in HCC cells, ultimately contributing to poor prognostic outcomes.

The relative effects of climatic drivers and phenotypic integration on phenotypic plasticity of a globally invasive plant.

Understanding the constraints of phenotypic plasticity can provide insights into the factors that limit or influence the capacity of an organism to respond to changing environments. However, the relative effects of external and internal factors on phenotypic plasticity remain largely unexplored. Phenotypic integration, the pattern of correlations among traits, is recognized as an important internal constraint to plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity is critical in facilitating the acclimation of invasive species to the diverse environments within their introduced ranges. Consequently, these species serve as ideal models for investigating phenotypic plasticity and its underlying determinants. Here, we collected seeds of a global salt marsh invader Spartina alterniflora from seven invasive populations covering the entire latitudinal range in China. These populations were cultivated in two common gardens located at the southern and northern range margins, respectively. We quantified plasticity and variation therein for plant height, shoot density, first flowering day and inflorescence biomass (on a per capita basis). These traits have direct or indirect effects on invasiveness. We examined the relationships between traits plasticity with climatic conditions at site of origin (external factor) and phenotypic integration (internal factor). We found that plasticity differed according to the trait being measured, and was higher for a trait affecting fitness. Phenotypic variance increased with latitude and temperature at the site of origin was the primary factor affecting phenotypic variation. These results indicated that external abiotic factors directly affected the selection on phenotypic plasticity of S. alterniflora. Our study provides a unique viewpoint on assessing the importance of identifying influential factors and mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity. Understanding these factors and mechanisms is a critical indicator for invasive and other cosmopolitan species' responses, establishment, persistence, and distribution under climate change.

Environmental change mediates plasticity in offspring traits through maternal effects in a coral reef fish

Wild populations are continuously challenged by natural environmental variation as well as threatened by anthropogenically-induced habitat loss and fragmentation. Non-genetic parental effects may be a key mechanism across taxa to cope with such environmental challenges and threats. However, the way in which environmental change modulates parental and offspring traits remains poorly studied in marine fish, especially in the wild. We empirically test whether environmental change directly affects monthly reproductive output and offspring phenotypes, including egg size, larval size and larval swimming abilities, in a wild population of anemonefish. In addition, we test whether environmentally induced parental physiology (hormones) modify parental traits, as well as offspring traits intergenerationally. First, we demonstrate plasticity in parental reproductive output when habitat size (anemone surface area) was experimentally manipulated. Second, we show intergenerational plasticity in wild anemonefish offspring traits. When habitat size increased, offspring traits were unchanged, but reproductive output was increased. Maternal reproductive hormones, such as 17ß-estradiol, showed a trend to increase when habitat size increased and 17ß-estradiol correlates positively with reproductive output. When habitat size decreased, reproductive output decreased, and smaller eggs and larvae were produced, however, these larvae swam faster. Our results provide evidence for marine fish plasticity in both reproductive output and offspring traits. In addition, the maternal reproductive hormone 17ß-estradiol plays a role in determining reproductive output and larval phenotypic traits. Through our study conducted in the wild, we show how changes in habitat size affect fitness of both parents and offspring in different ways. We highlight how parental and offspring plasticity, via intergenerational maternal effects, may ensure population persistence under environmental change.

Predicting adaptation and evolution of plasticity from temporal environmental change

Abstract Environmental change can drive evolutionary adaptation and determine geographic patterns of biodiversity. Yet at a time of rapid environmental change, our ability to predict its evolutionary impacts is incomplete. Temporal environmental change, in particular, involves a combination of major components such as abrupt shift, trend, cyclic change, and noise. Theoretical predictions exist for adaptation to isolated components, but knowledge gaps remain regarding their joint impacts. We extend classic evolutionary theory to develop a model for the evolution of environmental tolerance by the evolution of an underlying developmentally plastic trait, in response to major components of temporal change. We retrieve and synthesise earlier predictions of responses to isolated components, and generate new predictions for components changing simultaneously. Notably, we show how different forms of environmental predictability emerging from the interplay of cyclic change, stochastic change (noise) and lag between development and selection shape predictions. We then illustrate the utility of our model for generating testable predictions for the evolution of adaptation and plasticity when parameterised with real time series data. Specifically, we parameterise our model with daily time series of sea‐surface temperature from a global marine hotspot in southern Australia, and use model simulations to predict the evolution of thermal tolerance, and geographic differences in tolerance, in this region. By synthesising theory on evolutionary adaptation to temporal environmental change, and providing new insights into the joint effects of its different components, our framework, embedded in a Shiny app, offer a path to better predictions of biological responses to climate change.

Simulation of early season herbivory via mechanical damage affects flower production in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo).

Damage from insect herbivores can elicit a wide range of plant responses, including reduced or compensatory growth, altered volatile profiles, or increased production of defence compounds. Specifically, herbivory can alter floral development as plants reallocate resources towards defence and regrowth functions. For pollinator-dependent species, floral quantity and quality are critical for attracting floral visitors; thus, herbivore-induced developmental effects that alter either floral abundance or attractiveness may have critical implications for plant reproductive success. Based on past work on resource trade-offs, we hypothesize that herbivore damage-induced effects are stronger in structural floral traits that require significant resource investment (e.g. flower quantity), as plants reallocate resources towards defence and regrowth, and weaker in secondary floral traits that require less structural investment (e.g. nectar rewards). In this study, we simulated early-season herbivore mechanical damage in the domesticated jack-o-lantern pumpkin Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo and measured a diverse suite of floral traits over a 60-d greenhouse experiment. We found that mechanical damage delayed the onset of male anthesis and reduced the total quantity of flowers produced. Additionally, permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) indicated that mechanical damage significantly impacts overall floral volatile profile, though not output of sesquiterpenoids, a class of compounds known to recruit specialized cucumber beetle herbivores and squash bee pollinators. We show that C. pepo spp. pepo reduces investment in male flower production following mechanical damage, and that floral volatiles do exhibit shifts in production, indicative of damage-induced trait plasticity. Such reductions in male flower production could reduce the relative attractiveness of damaged plants to foraging pollinators in this globally relevant cultivated species.

Unraveling Microplastic-Biofilm Nexus in Aquaculture: Diversity and Functionality of Microbial Communities and Their Effect on Plastic Traits

Unraveling Microplastic-Biofilm Nexus in Aquaculture: Diversity and Functionality of Microbial Communities and Their Effect on Plastic Traits