Cardamine pratensis early/late ecotype transects Dibbinsdale Nature Reserve 2012-2014
Data files
Apr 22, 2024 version files 453.52 KB
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Early_Ecotype_2012_Transect_Data.xlsx
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Early_Ecotype_2013_Transect_Data.xlsx
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Early_Ecotype_2014_Transect_Data.xlsx
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Late_Ecotype_2012_Transect_Data.xlsx
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Late_Ecotype_2013_Transect_Data.xlsx
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Late_Ecotype_2014_Transect_Data.xlsx
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README.md
Abstract
Phenological escape, whereby species alter the timing of life-history events to avoid seasonal antagonists, is usually analyzed either as a potential evolutionary outcome given current selection coefficients or as a realized outcome in response to known enemies. We here gain mechanistic insights into the evolutionary trajectory of phenological escape in the brassicaceous herb Cardamine pratensis, by comparing the flowering schedules of two sympatric ecotypes in different stages of a disruptive response to egg-laying pressure imposed by the pierid butterfly Anthocharis cardamines, whose larvae are pre-dispersal seed predators (reducing realized fecundity by ~70%). When the focal point of highest intensity selection (peak egg-laying) occurs early in the flowering schedule, selection for late flowering dependent on reduced egg-laying combined with selection for early flowering dependent on reduced predator survival results in a symmetrical bimodal flowering curve; when the focal point occurs late, an asymmetrical flowering curve results with a large early flowering mode due to selection for reduced egg-laying augmented by selection for infested plants to outrun larval development and dehisce before seed-pod consumption. Unequal selection pressures on high and low fecundity ramets, due to asynchronous flowering and morphologically targeted (size-dependent) egg-laying, constrain phenological escape, with bimodal flowering evolving primarily in response to disruptive selection on high fecundity phenotypes. These results emphasize the importance of analyzing variation in selection coefficients among morphological phenotypes over the entire flowering schedule to predict how populations will evolve in response to altered phenologies resulting from climate change.
README: Cardamine pratensis early/late ecotype transects Dibbinsdale Nature Reserve 2012-2014
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v9s4mw741
Description of the data and file structure
The data comprise six Excel spreadsheets covering two Cardamine pratensis ecotypes (early and late) during a three-year study period (2012-2014) in Dibbinsdale Nature Reserve on the Wirral peninsula in NW England.
Data include the phenological state (number of flowers, buds, seed pods) of each C. pratensis plant and the number and life-history stage of any Anthocharis cardamines eggs and larvae found upon it.
Each file is structured as follows:
First line: Ecotype Code (CpE = Cardamine pratensis Early, CpL = Cardamine pratensis Late), Year.
Second line: Column headings. These are:
- Plant Number (assigned to each ramet on the transect)
- Date (day of year; half-dates indicate transect was surveyed over two successive days)
- Height (plant height in cm) - only applies to plants in flower; n/a when not in flower
- Flowers (number of flowers open on the plant on the corresponding date)
- Buds (number of unopened buds)
- Seed-pods (number of seed-pods (or siliquae))
- NAI (number of Non-Axial Inflorescences (or side-branches))
- New Eggs (number of newly laid A. cardamines eggs)
- Old Eggs (number of previously laid A. cardamines eggs)
- L1-L5 (number of first (L1), second (L2), third (L3), fourth (L4) and fifth (L5) instar A. cardamines larvae)
- Notes (further information, where relevant)
The data relating to each column heading is then given in the remainder of the file.
Dehisced plants are marked "d" in the Height column (a reminder is provided at the top of each file).