{"title":"An elevational cline in leaf variegation: Testing anti-herbivory and abiotic heterogeneity hypotheses in maintaining a polymorphism","authors":"Cierra N. Sullivan, Matthew H. Koski","doi":"10.1002/ajb2.16411","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Premise</h3>\n \n <p>While some studies have found leaf variegation to reduce photosynthetic capacity, others showed that it can increase photosynthesis. Thus, what maintains variegation remains an open question. Two primary hypotheses—the anti-herbivory and abiotic heterogeneity hypotheses—have been posited, yet little empirical research explicitly investigates the maintenance of naturally occurring variegation.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We used field surveys, image analysis, and climatic associations to explore the anti-herbivory and abiotic heterogeneity hypotheses in 21 populations of <i>Hexastylis heterophylla</i> and <i>H. shuttleworthii</i>, both polymorphic for leaf variegation. We measured the frequency of variegated individuals, variegation intensity, and herbivory for each morph, assessed abiotic correlates with variegation, and measured photosynthetic efficiency.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>We found a strong elevational cline in leaf variegation strongly linked with abiotic heterogeneity; variegation was more common in lower-elevation populations characterized by higher temperatures, UV-B exposure, seasonal light change, and drier, more basic soils. Variegated and nonvariegated individuals experienced similar levels of herbivory. Morphs had similar photosynthetic quantum yields. However, nonvariegated leaves experienced more nonphotochemical quenching, an indication of photoinhibition, and had higher surface temperatures under high light.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Our results suggest that variegation may serve as an adaptation to high temperatures and light conditions and can reduce photoinhibition in certain environmental contexts. Thus, abiotic factors can maintain variegation in wild populations and shape geographic clines in variegation.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":7691,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Botany","volume":"111 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajb2.16411","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Botany","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajb2.16411","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PLANT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Premise
While some studies have found leaf variegation to reduce photosynthetic capacity, others showed that it can increase photosynthesis. Thus, what maintains variegation remains an open question. Two primary hypotheses—the anti-herbivory and abiotic heterogeneity hypotheses—have been posited, yet little empirical research explicitly investigates the maintenance of naturally occurring variegation.
Methods
We used field surveys, image analysis, and climatic associations to explore the anti-herbivory and abiotic heterogeneity hypotheses in 21 populations of Hexastylis heterophylla and H. shuttleworthii, both polymorphic for leaf variegation. We measured the frequency of variegated individuals, variegation intensity, and herbivory for each morph, assessed abiotic correlates with variegation, and measured photosynthetic efficiency.
Results
We found a strong elevational cline in leaf variegation strongly linked with abiotic heterogeneity; variegation was more common in lower-elevation populations characterized by higher temperatures, UV-B exposure, seasonal light change, and drier, more basic soils. Variegated and nonvariegated individuals experienced similar levels of herbivory. Morphs had similar photosynthetic quantum yields. However, nonvariegated leaves experienced more nonphotochemical quenching, an indication of photoinhibition, and had higher surface temperatures under high light.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that variegation may serve as an adaptation to high temperatures and light conditions and can reduce photoinhibition in certain environmental contexts. Thus, abiotic factors can maintain variegation in wild populations and shape geographic clines in variegation.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Botany (AJB), the flagship journal of the Botanical Society of America (BSA), publishes peer-reviewed, innovative, significant research of interest to a wide audience of plant scientists in all areas of plant biology (structure, function, development, diversity, genetics, evolution, systematics), all levels of organization (molecular to ecosystem), and all plant groups and allied organisms (cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, and lichens). AJB requires authors to frame their research questions and discuss their results in terms of major questions of plant biology. In general, papers that are too narrowly focused, purely descriptive, natural history, broad surveys, or that contain only preliminary data will not be considered.