Abstract
Traits that enable plants to exploit low-resource environments (e.g., slow tissue turnover, low transpiration rate, high root: shoot ratio, and high concentrations of plant defenses against pathogens and herbivores) are physiologically linked to key growth-related traits (low rates of photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth). Similar suites of traits occur as both phenotypically plastic and evolutionary responses to stress. We suggest that a genetic change in a switch or underlying trait that turns on this stress resistance syndrome (SRS), which causes it to be expressed over a wider range of environmental circumstances, would effectively convert a high-resource genotype into one that is more stress-tolerant. Because of physiological linkages between growth-related traits and the SRS, any heritable change in a key growth-related trait will pleiotropically affect the SRS. Therefore, heritable changes in these key growth-related traits could be accompanied by evolution of the entire SRS. Evidence for this hypothesis comes from single-gene mutants that differ in many stress-related traits, rapid evolution of metaltolerant populations that are broadly stress-resistant, and consistent patterns of traits in species along gradients in resource availability. Similar evolutionary patterns occur in many animal taxa, which suggests that it is a general evolutionary phenomenon. We suggest that rapid evolution in response to changing environmental stress may allow many short-lived species to respond to human-induced environmental change and provide opportunities to develop stress-resistant crops. However, the time lag between generations of long-lived species that dominate most natural vegetation may not allow mature individuals of these species to keep pace with rapid global change
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Low-resource exploitation traits are physiologically linked to low photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and growth.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Outcome
- low rates of photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growthe0
- Direction
- lowe0
- Setting
- low-resource environmentse0
Verbatim
e0“Traits that enable plants to exploit low-resource environments (e.g., slow tissue turnover, low transpiration rate, high root: shoot ratio, and high concentrations of plant defenses against pathogens and herbivores) are physiologically linked to key growth-related traits (low rates of photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and growth).”
Claim · model-written summary
Similar stress-associated suites arise as plastic and evolutionary responses.
- Outcome
- phenotypically plastic and evolutionary responses to stresse0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“Similar suites of traits occur as both phenotypically plastic and evolutionary responses to stress.”
Claim · model-written summary
Single-gene mutants, metal-tolerant populations and resource gradients support the proposed linked-trait evolution.
- Outcome
- single-gene mutants that differ in many stress-related traits, rapid evolution of metaltolerant populations that are broadly stress-resistant, and consistent patterns of traits in species along gradients in resource availabilitye0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“Evidence for this hypothesis comes from single-gene mutants that differ in many stress-related traits, rapid evolution of metaltolerant populations that are broadly stress-resistant, and consistent patterns of traits in species along gradients in resource availability.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose that a genetic switch could broaden expression of stress resistance and make high-resource genotypes more tolerant.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“We suggest that a genetic change in a switch or underlying trait that turns on this stress resistance syndrome (SRS), which causes it to be expressed over a wider range of environmental circumstances, would effectively convert a high-resource genotype into one that is more stress-tolerant.”
Claim · model-written summary
Heritable changes in growth traits are proposed to affect the whole stress resistance syndrome through physiological linkage.
- Outcome
- evolution of the entire SRSe0
- Qualifier
- physiological linkages between growth-related traits and the SRSe0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“Because of physiological linkages between growth-related traits and the SRS, any heritable change in a key growth-related trait will pleiotropically affect the SRS. Therefore, heritable changes in these key growth-related traits could be accompanied by evolution of the entire SRS.”
Claim · model-written summary
Short-lived species may respond evolutionarily to rapid environmental change.
- Outcome
- respond to human-induced environmental changee0
- Qualifier
- rapid evolution in response to changing environmental stresse0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“We suggest that rapid evolution in response to changing environmental stress may allow many short-lived species to respond to human-induced environmental change and provide opportunities to develop stress-resistant crops.”
Claim · model-written summary
Generation time may prevent mature long-lived species from keeping pace with rapid global change.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“However, the time lag between generations of long-lived species that dominate most natural vegetation may not allow mature individuals of these species to keep pace with rapid global change”