Differential effect of climate on structural and biochemical plant traits

Exploring patterns and causes of intraspecific trait variation is crucial for a better understanding of the effects of climate change on plant populations and ecosystems. However, our current understanding of the intraspecific trait variation is mainly based on structural (morphological) traits, and we have limited knowledge on patterns and causes of variation in biochemical traits (e.g., leaf pigments), which are also crucial for plant adaptation. As a result, we also do not know how similar the climatic effects on structural versus biochemical traits are. Using plant traits from 110 genotypes representing 11 Festuca rubra populations grown in 4 different climates, we studied trait covariation among structural traits (linked to fitness, resource use, gas exchange, and reproduction) and biochemical traits (linked to photosynthesis, photoprotection, and oxidative stress). We also disentangled the relative role of the climate of origin and the climate of cultivation in the structural versus biochemical traits and tested for adaptive plasticity in the traits. We found that 1) biochemical traits did not covary with structural traits and represent independent ‘photoharvesting – photoprotection’ strategy dimension of functional variation; 2) interactive effects of climate of origin and cultivation were more pronounced for biochemical than structural traits. 3) Trait plasticity was affected by the climate of origin (precipitation and temperature as well as their interaction); 4) F. rubra showed both adaptive and mal-adaptive plasticity, and adaptiveness depended upon trait type, cultivation climate, and climate of origin. Overall, our results suggest that structural and biochemical plant traits respond differentially to climate and thus the response of one group of traits cannot be predicted from the other. Responses are also strongly determined by interactions between the climate of origin and cultivation. Thus, more studies on variation in biochemical traits, their correspondence to other traits, and their variation with climate are needed.