Thermal plasticity of multiple traits varies more within than between populations of Plantago lanceolata at its northern range edge

Hällfors, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6890-8942 , Robson, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8631-796X , Burg, Skylar ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0903-2623 , Pentikäinen, Santtu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1117-6514 , Koivusaari, Susanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3183-8870 , Luoto, Miska ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6203-5143 , Nezval, Jakub ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1465-6604 , Pech, Radomir ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8328-1804 , Saastamoinen, Marjo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7009-2527 , Schulman, Leif ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1990-2173 , Sirén, Jukka ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2680-0597 and Susi, Hanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6814-9205 (2025) Thermal plasticity of multiple traits varies more within than between populations of Plantago lanceolata at its northern range edge. Ecology and Evolution . Item availability may be restricted.

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Abstract

Temperature plays a pivotal role in defining the distribution of species and the fitness of individuals within species’ ranges. Phenotypic plasticity can allow individuals to cope with varying environmental conditions, including rapid climate change. Populations at range edges experience more variable conditions than core populations and thus are hypothesized to exhibit higher thermal plasticity. However, as the strength of plasticity often varies between individuals, it can also differ among local populations at range edges. We studied the extent of and variation in thermal plasticity for several traits within and between populations of the perennial herb Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae) at its northern range edge. We sampled seeds from nine sites within a 50 x 50 km region and grew them under three temperature regimes in a greenhouse. We measured traits related to size, flowering, pathogen responses, and inflorescence pigmentation. We expected to find higher plasticity in traits less strongly connected to fitness and that differences between individuals would outweigh differences between populations in underpinning this variation in plasticity. Our results show thermal plasticity in leaf size and abundance, flowering probability and abundance, and pigmentation. Notably, we also found increased pathogen symptoms and higher infection rates of one of two viruses screened, highlighting the potential for changes in pathogen sensitivity and exposure under climate change. Importantly, in all traits but flower abundance, more variation in plasticity was attributable to differences within populations than between populations. Although this contribution was small in magnitude compared to thermal effects on traits, the higher intra- versus interpopulation variation in plasticity suggests that differences between individuals provide most of the variation in thermal plasticity, which may be driven by small-scale variations in habitat conditions; highlighting the need for conservation strategies that consider microhabitat variation to support short-term adaptive responses to thermal variability.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Ecology and Evolution
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	2045-7758
Departments:	Institute of Science and Environment > Forestry and Conservation
Additional Information:	Dr T. Matthew Robson, PhD, Associate Professor in Forestry, University of Cumbria, UK and University of Helsinki, Finland.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	10 Sep 2025 10:17
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2025 08:00
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/9028