Sarah Ashlock

Abstract Understanding how plant populations respond to environmental variation through functional leaf traits remains challenging due to limitations of traditional phenotyping approaches. Hyperspectral reflectance offers a rapid, non-destructive and high-throughput method to capture functional trait variation and detect signatures of local adaptation across populations.

Abstract The timing of early life cycle events has cascading effects on phenology and fitness. These effects may be critical for climate resilience of plant populations, especially in Mediterranean environments, where delayed rainfall onset causes delayed germination. To examine impacts of germination timing on ten species of the Streptanthus/Caulanthus clade, we induced germination across a range of dates in ambient seasonal conditions and recorded phenological and fitness traits.

Abstract The timing of germination, driven by seasonal cues, is critical for the life cycle of plants. Variation among species in germination responses can reflect evolutionary processes and adaptation to local climate and can affect vulnerability to changing conditions. Indeed, climate change is altering the timing of precipitation and associated temperatures, which may interact with germination cueing to affect the timing, quantity, and speed of germination.