The fitness optimization strategy under simulated warming An exploration
on the reproductive pattern of the clonal submerged plant,
Potamogeton crispus L.
- Tong Wang,
- Liyu Yang,
- Lizheng Fang,
- Chunlin Wang,
- Dan Yu,
- Haifang Li
Abstract
Reproduction determines the fitness and is a crucial component of life
history. Asexual and sexual reproduction synergistically contribute to
the fitness of clonal plants. Extreme warming leads to a periodical
sharp rise in temperature and may affect the plant fitness. Few studies
have concerned the impacts of extreme warming on the reproductive
pattern of clonal aquatic plant and its evolutionary implication. In the
present study, the cosmopolitan clonal submerged plant species,
Potamogeton crispus L. from four different geographic sources, was
subjected to simulated extreme warming. Both asexual and sexual
reproductive performances including the recruitment of turions and
fruits were evaluated. We found that both geographic source and warming
significantly affected the reproductive performances. Although the
response of turion number to warming was different for populations from
different geographic sources, the turion mass did not decrease under
warming. Moreover, warming induced a lower percentage of oligophyllous
turions -- the turion with no more than four scale leaves each, and a
higher percentage of pleiophyllous turions -- the turion with more than
four scale leaves each. Additionally, warming caused a complete loss of
sex for three populations. As the scale leaf functions as storage and
photosynthetic organ and the scale leaf number is positively correlated
with the axillary bud number, P. crispus may select to enhance the
sprouting potential of turion to achieve the fitness optimization by
enhancing the recruitment of scale leaves and thus larger turions under
warming.