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The survival strategy of the alpine endemic Primula glaucescens is fundamentally unchanged throughout its climate envelope despite superficial phenotypic variability

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Abstract

The survival of alpine species in changing climates depends on dispersal or adaptation. However, it is unclear whether trait variability along elevation/climatic gradients is adaptive or represents stress towards lower/warmer elevations, particularly for the endangered endemics for which protected status and plant longevity preclude experimental study. We chose one such species, known for its phenotypic variability (Primula glaucescens, endemic to the southern Alps), and quantified key functional traits in situ throughout its range, correlating these with elevation as a proxy for climate. Larger leaves were evident towards lower elevations, but tissue nitrogen dilution and limited regenerative fitness were symptomatic of stress. Specific leaf area, a correlate of relative growth rate, was consistently low: the entire species exhibits conservative leaf economy and inherently slow growth. This seemingly variable species exhibits superficial variability around a fundamentally conservative, cold-adapted survival strategy, and thus phenotypic variability is unlikely to facilitate the persistence of alpine endemics during rapid climate warming.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Francesco Bedin for assistance in the field, Dr. Guido Brusa (University of Insubria) for help with the germination tests and Prof. Brian Huntley (University of Durham, UK) for comments on a draft of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Centro Flora Autoctona (Native Flora Centre) of Lombardy (Galbiate, Lecco, Italy), via the University of Insubria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Flora Autoctona (Native Flora Centre), c/o Consorzio Parco Monte Barro, via Bertarelli 11, I-23851, Galbiate (LC), Italy

    Roberta M. Ceriani

  2. Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100, Varese, Italy

    Simon Pierce & Bruno Cerabolini

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  1. Roberta M. Ceriani
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  2. Simon Pierce
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Correspondence to Simon Pierce.

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Nomenclature: Pignatti (1982).

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Ceriani, R.M., Pierce, S. & Cerabolini, B. The survival strategy of the alpine endemic Primula glaucescens is fundamentally unchanged throughout its climate envelope despite superficial phenotypic variability. Plant Ecol 204, 1–10 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-008-9559-y

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