Reciprocal transplant experiments with Delphinium nelsonii (Ranunculaceae): evidence for local adaptation
Abstract
Reciprocal seed transplants suggest that there is fine‐scale adaptation in Colorado populations of the perennial herb Delphinium nelsonii. In four experimental plots, seeds planted within 1 m of the maternal parent produced seedlings that began flowering at a younger age and produced more flowers over their lifespan than those derived from maternal parents growing 50 m away. These “resident” seedlings also survived as well or better than the “nonresidents.” Resulting selection coefficients against nonresidents averaged 34%. Species composition of the herbaceous flora was found to vary substantially over short distances in subalpine meadows where D. nelsonii grows, indicating that the biotic environment varies and that physical factors probably do as well. Thus, spatial heterogeneity in selective forces may be substantial, which should foster the sort of local adaptation documented for D. nelsonii.
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