Am. J. Bot. Join the BSA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (20)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nicotra, A. B.
Right arrow Articles by Schlichting, C. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Nicotra, A. B.
Right arrow Articles by Schlichting, C. D.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Nicotra, A. B.
Right arrow Articles by Schlichting, C. D.

American Journal of Botany, Vol 84, 1542, Copyright © 1997 by Botanical Society of America, Inc.

ECOLOGY AND POPULATION BIOLOGY

Patterns of genotypic variation and phenotypic plasticity of light response in two tropical Piper (Piperaceae) species

AB Nicotra, RL Chazdon and CD Schlichting

Patterns of phenotypic plasticity and genotypic variation in light response of growth and photosynthesis were examined in two species of rain forest shrub that differ in ecological distribution within the forest. We further examined correlations among photosynthetic and growth traits. We hypothesized that the pioneer species, Piper sancti-felicis, would display greater phenotypic plasticity than the shade-tolerant species, Piper arieianum. We further proposed that, in both species, genotypic effects would be more apparent in growth-related traits than photosynthetic traits due to more concentrated selection pressure on gas-exchange traits. P. sancti-felicis did not demonstrate greater phenotypic plasticity of light response. Although many of the traits measured had significant genotype effects, neither species showed any significant effects of genotype on light response of photosynthesis, suggesting little genetic variation for this trait within populations. A principal components analysis clearly illustrated both species and light effects, with the treatments dividing neatly along the axis of the first principal component and the species separating along the second principal component axis. Results indicated general similarities between the species in their trait correlation structure and level of integration among traits, but characteristic differences were observed in the patterns of change between low and high light. Both species had more correlations than expected within groups of growth-related or photosynthetic traits; strong correlations of traits between these two groups were underrepresented. The similar pattern of genetic variation and phenotypic integration observed in these two congeners may be due more to their close phylogenetic relation than to their ecological distributions.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
M. F. GOULART, J. P. LEMOS FILHO, and M. B. LOVATO
Phenological Variation Within and Among Populations of Plathymenia reticulata in Brazilian Cerrado, the Atlantic Forest and Transitional Sites
Ann. Bot., September 1, 2005; 96(3): 445 - 455.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Bot.Home page
C. J. Murren, N. Pendleton, and M. Pigliucci
Evolution of phenotypic integration in Brassica (Brassicaceae)
Am. J. Botany, April 1, 2002; 89(4): 655 - 663.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Bot.Home page
D. W. Vogler, S. Peretz, and A. G. Stephenson
Floral plasticity in an iteroparous plant: the interactive effects of genotype, environment, and ontogeny in Campanula rapunculoides (Campanulaceae)
Am. J. Botany, April 1, 1999; 86(4): 482 - 494.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Bot.Home page
W. S. Armbruster, V. S. Di Stilio, J. D. Tuxill, T. C. Flores, and J. L. Velásquez Runk
Covariance and decoupling of floral and vegetative traits in nine Neotropical plants: a re-evaluation of Berg's correlation-pleiades concept
Am. J. Botany, January 1, 1999; 86(1): 39 - 55.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1997 by the Botanical Society of America, Inc.