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Associations between leaf developmental stability, variability, canalization and phenotypic plasticity in Abutilon theophrasti

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Jul 23, 2021 version files 376.94 KB
Oct 21, 2022 version files 344.56 KB

Abstract

Developmental stability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity are the most common sources of phenotypic variation, yet comparative studies investigating the relationships between these sources, specifically in plants, are lacking. To investigate the relationships among developmental stability or instability, developmental variability, canalization and plasticity in plants, we conducted a field experiment with Abutilon theophrasti, by subjecting plants to three densities under infertile vs. fertile soil conditions. We measured the leaf width (leaf size) and calculated fluctuating asymmetry (FA), coefficient of variation within and among individuals (CVintra and CVinter), and plasticity (PIrel) in leaf size at day 30, 50 and 70 of plant growth, to analyze the correlations among these variables in response to density and soil conditions, at each of or across all growth stages. Results showed increased density led to lower leaf FA, CVintra and PIrel and higher CVinter in fertile soil. A positive correlation between FA and PIrel occurred in infertile soil, while correlations between CVinter and PIrel and between CVinter and CVintra were negative at high density and/or in fertile soil, with non-significant correlations among them in other cases. Results suggested the complexity of responses of developmental instability, variability and canalization in leaf size as well as their relationships, which depend on the strength of stresses. Intense aboveground competition that accelerates the decrease in leaf size (leading to lower plasticity) will be more likely to reduce developmental instability, variability and canalization in leaf size. Increased developmental instability and intra- and inter-individual variability should be advantageous and facilitate adaptive plasticity in less stressful conditions, thus they are more likely to positively correlate with plasticity; whereas developmental stability and canalization with lower developmental variability should be beneficial for stabilizing plant performance in more stressful conditions, where they tend to have more negative correlations with plasticity.