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Contributed Talk

Session: : Conservation Ecology and Extinction 1

COS 170-5 - Comparative phenotypic plasticity and genetic diversity of rare Boechera perstellata and widespread B. laevigata

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM PDT
Location: C125-126
Abstract: The rapid pace of contemporary environmental change puts many species at risk, especially rare species constrained by limited capacity to adapt or migrate due to low genetic diversity and/or fitness. But the ability to acclimate can provide another way to persist through change. To compare the capacity of rare vs. common species to acclimate, we investigated the phenotypic plasticity of individuals of rare Boechera perstellata (Braun’s rockcress) and widespread B. laevigata propagated from seed collected from several populations throughout their ranges in a growth chamber experiment. We also assessed the genetic diversity of these individuals using 17 microsatellite loci. In contrast to our prediction that rarity would be associated with acclimatory constraints, both species exhibited phenotypic plasticity that depended on environmental context. The roots of widespread B. laevigata were especially plastic in response to temperature, which could explain its broader climatic range. As expected, B. perstellata also had lower levels of observed heterozygosity than B. laevigata at the species level, but population-level trends in diversity measures were inconsistent due to high heterogeneity among B. laevigata populations. Overall, our findings elucidate the narrow range and habitat restrictions of B. perstellata and its vulnerability to future environmental change.