Ecological Interactions, Environmental Gradients, and Gene Flow in Local Adaptation

Adaptation of plants to their local environment has been studied by evolutionary ecologists for decades (e.g., [1-3]). Interest in local adaptation (see Glossary) stems from an appreciation of functional matches between phenotypic diversity within species and the selective aspects of their biotic and abiotic environments. In classic and extreme cases, populations of plants within meters of each other may exhibit differentiation due to strong natural selection even in the face Despite long-standing interest in local adaptation of plants to their biotic and abiotic environment, existing theory, and many case studies, little work to date has addressed within-species evolution of concerted strategies and how these might contrast with patterns across species. Here we consider the interactions between pollinators, herbivores, and resource availability in shaping plant local adaptation, how these interactions impact plant phenotypes and gene flow, and the conditions where multiple traits align along major environmental gradients such as latitude and elevation. Continued work in emerging model systems will benefit from the melding of classic experimental approaches with novel population genetic analyses to reveal patterns and processes in plant local adaptation.