Data from: Spatiotemporal variation in selection on floral traits related to abortion rate, predispersal seed predation, and fitness variance
Data files
Dec 03, 2025 version files 77.60 KB
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PhenoData.dryad.csv
76.22 KB
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README.md
1.38 KB
Abstract
Spatiotemporal variation in phenotypic selection is important for understanding the potential consequences of selection. Variable selection on floral traits is common, yet connecting the variation to potential drivers of selection is less so. Here, we estimated selection on six floral traits of Penstemon digitalis for four populations, with two over four years. We also tested whether an extreme year (2012) with an early spring affected selection on floral traits. For traits that showed evidence of spatiotemporal variation (three), we asked whether variation was related to three aspects of their ecology: flower/fruit abortion, predispersal seed predation and/or opportunity for selection. Attached data includes phenotypic fitness measures used in the main analyses for the paper.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.f4qrfj779
Description of the data and file structure
Phenotypic traits and fitness measures were done in four populations of Penstemon digitalis (BB, NR TH, WF) in 1-4 years.
Files and variables
Single file with all data "PhenoData.dryad.csv". Missing values are left blank.
year = collection year
population = one of four values, see publication for location details
gape.width = width of floral tube opening (mm)
petal.width = width of centre lower petal at widest point (mm)
constriction. width = width of the constriction of floral tube near nectary at the narrowest point (mm) (not included in publication)
tube.length = length of floral tube (mm)
lines = number of purple lines in the corolla tube
colour = intensity of colour based on a 4 point ordinal scale (0 = no lines, 1 = light, 2 = medium, 3 = dark)
pigment = lines*colour (estimate used in paper)
height = total plant height measured at end of season (cm)
flowers= total flowers produced
fruit = number of fruit
aborted = number of aborted flowers/fruit
damage = number of fruits with predispersal seed predator damage
fitness = sum of undamaged fruit diameter + 1/2 the sum of undamaged fruit diameter as an estimate of successful seed production based on the positive correlation between fruit diameter and seed number
