Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient

Environmental variability may cause changes in flowering phenology affecting plant reproductive success. Plasticity in phenological processes may guarantee species survival under new environmental conditions, such as those caused by global warming. Here we examined the flowering patterns of Thymelae...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Bandera, Mari Carmen de la, Traveset, Anna
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/110838
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/110838
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Reproductive success
Flowering phenology
Balearic Islands
Altitudinal variation
Thymelaeaceae
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spelling Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradientBandera, Mari Carmen de laTraveset, AnnaReproductive successFlowering phenologyBalearic IslandsAltitudinal variationThymelaeaceaeEnvironmental variability may cause changes in flowering phenology affecting plant reproductive success. Plasticity in phenological processes may guarantee species survival under new environmental conditions, such as those caused by global warming. Here we examined the flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina (Thymelaeaceae), a dioecious shrub endemic to the Balearic Islands. We compared the two contrasting habitats where the species occurs: coastal dunes at sea level and mountain areas (c. 1200 m a.s.l.). We determined the relationship between three components of flowering phenology: initial date, flower duration, and synchrony, and assessed their association with traits describing plant size and fecundity. The increase in altitude results into a delayed flowering initiation and a shorter flowering period. In both habitats, male plants flowered earlier and for longer periods than females. At the mountain site, fruit set was associated to flower initiation, so that plants flowering earlier produced greater proportions of fruits. By contrast, fruit set at the dune site did not depend upon either flower initiation or flowering period; here, larger plants had longer flowering periods, though not necessarily produced more flowers and did not set more fruits than smaller plants. We attribute the differences in flowering patterns at different altitudes to phenotypic plasticity of the species; it is adapted to mountain conditions delaying the flowering period (probably adjusting it to the insect abundance at this altitude). Moreover, shortening of the flowering period may be also advantageous to reduce the stressful effects of higher temperature, radiation and drought that occur later in the summer. © 2013.The study was framed within project CGL2004-04884-CO2-01/BOS financed by the Ministry of Science and InnovationPeer ReviewedConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)2015201520132015info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/110838reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Ingléshttp://rjb.revistas.csic.es/index.php/rjb/article/view/389/384http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2307info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1108382026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
title Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
spellingShingle Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
Bandera, Mari Carmen de la
Reproductive success
Flowering phenology
Balearic Islands
Altitudinal variation
Thymelaeaceae
title_short Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
title_full Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
title_fullStr Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
title_full_unstemmed Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
title_sort Flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina at the extremes of an altitudinal gradient
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bandera, Mari Carmen de la
Traveset, Anna
author Bandera, Mari Carmen de la
author_facet Bandera, Mari Carmen de la
Traveset, Anna
author_role author
author2 Traveset, Anna
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Reproductive success
Flowering phenology
Balearic Islands
Altitudinal variation
Thymelaeaceae
topic Reproductive success
Flowering phenology
Balearic Islands
Altitudinal variation
Thymelaeaceae
description Environmental variability may cause changes in flowering phenology affecting plant reproductive success. Plasticity in phenological processes may guarantee species survival under new environmental conditions, such as those caused by global warming. Here we examined the flowering patterns of Thymelaea velutina (Thymelaeaceae), a dioecious shrub endemic to the Balearic Islands. We compared the two contrasting habitats where the species occurs: coastal dunes at sea level and mountain areas (c. 1200 m a.s.l.). We determined the relationship between three components of flowering phenology: initial date, flower duration, and synchrony, and assessed their association with traits describing plant size and fecundity. The increase in altitude results into a delayed flowering initiation and a shorter flowering period. In both habitats, male plants flowered earlier and for longer periods than females. At the mountain site, fruit set was associated to flower initiation, so that plants flowering earlier produced greater proportions of fruits. By contrast, fruit set at the dune site did not depend upon either flower initiation or flowering period; here, larger plants had longer flowering periods, though not necessarily produced more flowers and did not set more fruits than smaller plants. We attribute the differences in flowering patterns at different altitudes to phenotypic plasticity of the species; it is adapted to mountain conditions delaying the flowering period (probably adjusting it to the insect abundance at this altitude). Moreover, shortening of the flowering period may be also advantageous to reduce the stressful effects of higher temperature, radiation and drought that occur later in the summer. © 2013.
publishDate 2013
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2013
2015
2015
2015
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/110838
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/110838
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://rjb.revistas.csic.es/index.php/rjb/article/view/389/384
http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2307
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
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repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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