@article {5971, title = {Reciprocal transplant gardens as gold standard to detect local adaptation in grassland species: New opportunities moving into the 21st century}, journal = {Journal of Ecology}, volume = {110}, year = {2022}, pages = {1054-1071}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.13695}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.13695}, author = {Johnson, Loretta C. and Galliart, Matthew B. and Alsdurf, Jacob D. and Maricle, Brian R. and S.G. Baer and Bello, Nora M. and Gibson, David J. and Smith, A.B.} } @article {6296, title = {No difference in herbivory preferences among ecotypes of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)}, journal = {Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science}, volume = {123}, year = {2020}, pages = {151}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1660/062.123.0112}, url = {https://bioone.org/journals/transactions-of-the-kansas-academy-of-science/volume-123/issue-1-2/062.123.0112/No-Difference-in-Herbivory-Preferences-Among-Ecotypes-of-Big-Bluestem/10.1660/062.123.0112.full}, author = {Pittenger, Madison S. and Maricle, Keri L. and S.G. Baer and Johnson, Loretta C. and Maricle, Brian R.} } @article {KNZ001912, title = {Drought tolerance in ecotypes of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) relates to above-ground surface area: Results from a common garden experiment}, journal = {Flora}, volume = {246-247}, year = {2018}, pages = {52 - 60}, abstract = {

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) is a dominant tallgrass species that has a wide range in North America with numerous genetically-distinct ecotypes, each adapted to conditions in their native habitat. In an evolutionary context, it was hypothesized that drought adaptation in A. gerardii would relate to plant surface area, where drought-adapted ecotypes were expected to be short with narrow leaves, thin stems, and few leaves per tiller. In the context of individual plants acclimating to reduced rainfall, rainout shelters were hypothesized to cause morphological reductions in surface area of individual plants. Morphological measurements were taken from four genetically-distinct ecotypes of A. gerardii across a precipitation gradient ranging from 500 to 900\ mm rain per year at three common garden sites in Colby, Hays, and Manhattan, Kansas, USA. Evolutionary responses to drier soils in A. gerardii resulted in reduction of evaporative surface area from leaves, as drought-adapted plants had fewer and smaller leaves. The most mesic ecotype of A. gerardii had the highest maximum leaf width, stem diameter, and leaf count across sites. There were few effects of environment on morphology in A. gerardii with reduced rainfall, however, indicating genetics plays a more prominent role than environment to influence morphology. We conclude that increased drought tolerance is related to an evolutionary reduction in evaporative surface area.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1016/j.flora.2018.07.005}, url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0367253018302469}, author = {Kramer, Diedre L. and Maricle, Keri L. and Hilt, Christina J. and Martin, Nicole M. and Urban, Adam D. and Smart, Cera M. and S.G. Baer and Johnson, Loretta C. and Maricle, Brian R.} } @article {KNZ001911, title = {Genetic and environmental influences on stomates of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)}, journal = {Environmental and Experimental Botany}, volume = {155}, year = {2018}, pages = {477 - 487}, abstract = {

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a dominant C4 prairie grass that has wide distribution and several genetically distinct ecotypes. Many of the ecotypic adaptations are related to water availability in the native environment. Stomates facilitate photosynthetic gas exchange and regulate water loss from the plant. As such, stomatal size and density represent possible adaptations to conserve water. We hypothesized drought-tolerant ecotypes of big bluestem would have fewer or smaller stomates compared to more mesic ecotypes. Five ecotypes of big bluestem were planted in four common gardens from western Kansas to southern Illinois, USA to determine genetic and environmental influences on stomates. Leaves of all ecotypes of A. gerardii were largely hypostomatous and genetics was a greater influence than environment for stomatal size and density. The drought-tolerant Sand bluestem had larger stomates on abaxial surfaces of leaves, but a lower density compared to most other ecotypes. The most mesic Illinois ecotype and the Kaw cultivar had the greatest density of stomates on abaxial surfaces of leaves. Sand Bluestem had a greater density of stomates on adaxial surfaces of leaves compared to all other ecotypes. Gas exchange measures followed patterns of stomate distribution, where abaxial CO2 uptake rates were greater than adaxial CO2 uptake rates, although differences between leaf surfaces was more pronounced in stomatal density than in CO2 uptake. There were minor differences in size and density of stomates among sites that corresponded with precipitation, although these differences were minor, illustrating the genetic underpinnings of stomates in big bluestem. There is a genetic predisposition for drought-tolerant ecotypes to have fewer stomates, illustrating an evolutionary adaptation to drought tolerance in an important prairie species.

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.07.018}, url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0098847218300807}, author = {Varvel, Nick A. and Hilt, Christina J. and Johnson, Loretta C. and Galliart, Matthew and S.G. Baer and Maricle, Brian R.} }