Intraspecific variation in land use-related functional traits in Plantago lanceolata

Abstract

Background and aimsIntraspecific variation in functional traits is essential for the evolutionary success of organisms. The co-variation between trait variation and environment, as well as between different traits, can help us to understand which ecological factors drive habitat adaptation, and to what extent adaptation may be constrained by trait correlations and trade-offs. In managed grasslands, plants experience a combination of competition, recurrent biomass removal and nutrient pulses. Each of these ecological challenges requires specific plant tolerances, and populations should locally adapt if intraspecific variation exists in these traits. MethodsWe studied variation in land use-related traits in the common grassland plant Plantago lanceolata. In a common environment, we quantified the competitive ability (R*), clipping tolerance and responses to a nitrogen pulse of plants from 54 populations with different land use intensities across Germany. Key resultsWe found significant population differentiation in competitive ability but there was little evidence that trait variation was related to land use intensity. There was a positive relationship between competitive ability and clipping tolerance at the population level, indicating a genetic, and possibly functional, link between these two traits. In contrast, clipping tolerance and nitrogen responses were negatively correlated at the levels of plant individuals, indicating a physiological trade-off between plant responses to these two land-use processes. ConclusionsOur results show that there is substantial intraspecific variation in some of the key functional traits for plant success in managed grasslands, and that rapid evolution and adaptation is therefore possible in these traits.