Biology subjects

Labarosa, S. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Labarosa, S. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Environmental drivers of heritable trait variation and lag of adaptation to climate in Hordeum murinum

1. Most plant species are genetically differentiated among populations, often reflected by phenotypic trait variation that corresponds to local adaptation. Yet the strength of local adaptation and heritable contribution to phenotypic traits vary across traits, species, and environments. Additionally, climate change is rapidly altering environmental conditions, and the climate may shift faster than populations can adapt or track the change via dispersal, resulting in adaptive lags. However, it remains unclear how widespread such adaptive lags are across plant species. 2. We focused on Hordeum murinum, an annual ruderal grass widespread in Europe. We combined continental-scale in situ measurements of 2070 plants across 207 populations with common garden experiments across two contrasting climates and two soil types to disentangle heritable variation from phenotypic plasticity and assess potential adaptive lags under climate change. 3. We found that heritable variation was pronounced in developmental traits, particularly flowering time and plant height, while seed weight, reproductive investment and SLA showed intermediate heritable contribution, and flag leaf area and total biomass were primarily plastic. Heritable trait variation was strongly associated with temperature at the populations origin, and trait clines were consistent with in situ patterns, suggesting that temperature is the main driver of genetic differentiation in H. murinum. However, we detected that fitness peaked in populations originating from warmer climates, indicating that evolutionary responses may not keep pace with rapid environmental shifts. 4. Synthesis: Our results highlight that H. murinum harbors substantial heritable variation, shaped primarily by temperature. However, the pace of evolutionary change may be insufficient to track ongoing climate change, leaving populations potentially vulnerable to future environmental conditions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Climate-driven in-situ trait variation in an annual ruderal grass across Europe

O_LIPlant functional traits link environmental conditions to plant performance and adaptation. Growing evidence shows that in-situ intraspecific trait variation can be as important as differences between species, yet large intraspecific datasets measured in situ are rare. While most studies focused on plant morphological traits, contents of elemental nutrients in the seeds received much less attention so far. C_LIO_LIWe conducted a large-scale in-situ study of the widespread ruderal grass Hordeum murinum. We sampled 2070 individuals from 207 populations from a large part of the native range in Europe and Northern Africa. In-situ, we measured seed ripening phenology and morphological traits, and analyzed the content of elemental nutrients in the seeds. C_LIO_LIWe found that Hordeum murinum grew larger, produced seeds later, and had heavier seeds in colder and wetter areas. Plants in denser vegetation were taller with heavier seeds but formed fewer spikes. Seed nutrient content generally declined with seed weight and was mainly driven by climate. Soil conditions had only minor effects on plant traits and seed nutrients. Population identity explained much of the variation, indicating a possible genetic component. C_LIO_LISynthesis: Our findings provide a comprehensive view of Hordeum murinum responding to environmental gradients across its European distribution. Climatic variables, especially temperature, are key drivers for reproductive success and seed nutrient content, while local environments, such as biotic pressures, are more critical for growth-related traits. These patterns indicate that H. murinum modulates its growth and reproductive investment along environmental gradients, balancing phenology, stress tolerance, and limited competitive capacity. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Genetic Diversity and Structure of Oryza rufipogon Griff. Populations in the Philippines

Oryza rufipogon Griff. or Rufi is the wild progenitor of the cultivated rice, Oryza sativa L. In the Philippines, Rufi was previously known to be found only in Lake Apo, Bukidnon. However, a new population was identified in Lake Napalit in the same province. Based on previous morphological diversity assessment, both populations are unique for at least three characters, i.e., leaf, culm, and awn lengths. Environmental parameters such as rainfall and air temperature also differed between the two lakes. With these, an assessment of Rufis genetic diversity at the molecular level is beneficial to further ascertain its usefulness in rice breeding and gain insights on its conservation status. Thus, this study estimated the degree of genetic diversity and determined the population structure of 41 samples of natural Rufi populations in the Philippines using SSR markers. A total of 98 genome wide polymorphic SSR markers were selected to examine the genetic diversity and structure of Rufi populations, along with seven rice cultivars for comparison. Results showed that Philippine Rufi populations have lower genetic diversity compared to cultivated rice accessions and other Rufi populations in Southeast Asia and China. This low genetic diversity suggested that Rufi populations might be in a genetic bottleneck, perhaps due to observed unsustainable farming practices near their habitat and lack of awareness of their importance. A significant population structure and differentiation were determined using the STRUCTURE and phylogenetic analyses. Population differentiation might be due to geographic isolation which prevented gene flow between the two populations and the unique climatic conditions between the two lakes.

ecology↗