According to theory, edge populations may be poised to expand species’ ranges if they are locally adapted to extreme conditions, or ill-suited to colonize beyond-range habitat if their offspring are genetically and competitively inferior. We tested these contrasting predictions by transplanting low, mid, and high-elevation (edge) populations of an annual plant throughout and above its elevational distribution. Seed from poor-quality edge habitat had inferior emergence, but edge seeds were also locally adapted. High-elevation plants flowered earlier, required less heat accumulation to mature seed, and so achieved higher lifetime fitness at and above the range edge. Experimental warming improved fitness above the range, but eliminated the advantage of local cold-edge populations, supporting models in which cold-adapted edge populations do not facilitate warming-induced range shifts. The highest above-range fitness was achieved by a ‘super edge phenotype’ from a neighboring mountain, suggesting key adaptations exist regionally even if absent from local edge populations.
HargreavesEcolLett data prop<FHB
Performance data per subplot from HB transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett performance HB'. Data contribute to Figs 2-5, Figs S5-S8, and Tables S5, S7, S8, S9. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data prop<FNK
Performance data per subplot from NK transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett performance NK'. Data contribute to Figs 2-5, Figs S5, S7, S8, and Tables S5, S7, S8, S9. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data ltrsHB
Reproductive performance data per plant from HB transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett performance HB'. Data contribute to Figs 2-5, Figs S5-S8, and Tables S5, S7, S8, S9. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data ltrsNK
Reproductive performance data per plant from NK transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett performance NK'. Data contribute to Figs 2-5, Figs S6, S7, S8, and Tables S5, S7, S8, S9. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data phenologyHB
Phenology data per plant for each visit from HB transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett phenology HB'. Data contribute to Figs 4 (phenology), Figs S9 (lifespan/longevity), and Table S6. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data phenologyNK
Phenology data per plant for each visit from NK transect. Data are analysed in the R script 'R EcolLett phenology NK'. Data contribute to Figs 4 (phenology), Figs S9 (lifespan/longevity), and Table S6. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett lambda from matrix models
Results from matrix models estimating lambda (net reproductive rate) for each source at the three highest sites on each transect. Data are produced in R script ‘R EcolLett matrix models incl Fig S5’. Data contribute to Fig S5. Script requires ‘prop<F’ data from both transects.
HargreavesEcolLett data dormancyHB
Dormancy data per subplot from HB. Similar to prop<FHB csv but for plots checked after their first summer. Data are analysed in the R script R EcolLett matrix models incl Fig S5'. Data contribute to Figs S5 and dormancy analyses in Supp Mat section 1.6. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data dormancyNK
Dormancy data per subplot from NK. Similar to prop<FNK csv but for plots checked after their first summer. Data are analysed in the R script R EcolLett matrix models incl Fig S5'. Data contribute to Figs S5 and dormancy analyses in Supp Mat section 1.6. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code and the paper's metadata file.
HargreavesEcolLett data dailyTminTmax 2011-14HB
Daily temperature (degrees C) from each site along the HB transect, summarized to daily maximum and minimum temperature. Data are analysed in R script ‘R EcolLett climate & GDDbysource incl Fig1 &S2 &S10’ and shown in Fig 4 (via script ‘R EcolLett Fig 4 (phenology) &S9 (longevity)’). Variable names are explained in the R analysis code.
HargreavesEcolLett data dailyTminTmax 2011-14NK
Daily temperature (degrees C) from each site along the NK transect, summarized to daily maximum and minimum temperature. Data are analysed in R script ‘R EcolLett climate & GDDbysource incl Fig1 &S2 &S10’ and shown in Fig 4 (via script ‘R EcolLett Fig 4 (phenology) &S9 (longevity)’). Variable names are explained in the R analysis code.
HargreavesEcolLett data hobo&ibutton summary by site
GDD & other climate data from each site along each transect, summarized to 1 value per parameter per year. Data are analysed in R script ‘R EcolLett climate & GDDbysource incl Fig1 &S2 &S10’ and shown in Fig 1 and S2. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code.
HargreavesEcolLett data hobo&ibutton summary by source
Minimum number of GDD required by each source to make seed at each within-range site in each year. Data are analysed in R script ‘R EcolLett climate & GDDbysource incl Fig1 &S2 &S10’ and shown in Fig S10. Variable names are explained in the R analysis code.
R EcolLett performance HB
R script analysing performance (emergence, survival to reproduction, reproductive success, lifetime fitness) along the HB transect. Results in Table S7, S8, S9.
R EcolLett performance NK
R script analysing performance (emergence, survival to reproduction, reproductive success, lifetime fitness) along the NK transect. Results in Table S7, S8, S9.
R EcolLett Fig 2&3 (performance) &S7
R script creating Fig 2, Fig 3, and Fig S7 from performance data.
R EcolLett phenology HB
R script analysing phenology (Date emergence, Date 1st flower, longevity) along the HB transect. Results in Table S6.
R EcolLett phenology NK
R script analysing phenology (Date emergence, Date 1st flower, longevity) along the NK transect. Results in Table S6.
R EcolLett Fig 4 (phenology) &S9 (longevity)
R script creating Fig 4 and Fig S9 from phenology data.
R EcolLett warming exp incl Fig 5
R script analysing the warming experiment at the three highest sites (ie across R. minor’s high-elevation range limit) on each transect, including creating Fig 5. Results in Table S9.
R EcolLett matrix models incl Fig S5
R script with matrix models that estimate net reproductive rate (lambda) for each source at the three highest sites (ie across R. minor’s high-elevation range limit) on each transect. Produces the csv ‘HargreavesEcolLett lambda from matrix models’ and Fig. S5.
R EcolLett Fig S6&S8 (performance by yr)
R script creating Fig S6 and Fig S8 from performance data, breaking results down by year.
R EcolLett climate & GDDbysource incl Fig1 &S2 &S10
R script analysing temperature-derived climate data. Produces Fig 1c (gdd by site), Fig S2 (other climate variables by site) and Fig S10 (minimum GDD needed by each source to produce seed at all sites within the range).
HargreavesEcolLett Dryad metadata
Meta data. Includes explanations of variable names, individual files, and figure showing how they relate to each other and Figures and Tables