Files
Abstract
Phenology is the study of annual timing of plant and animal life cycle events, such as leaf-out and flowering of deciduous plants in the spring. Climate warming has shifted species distributions and advanced spring phenology worldwide, but questions remain about how responses to warming differ among populations across a species’ natural range. In this 2-year study, we examined intraspecific variation in survival, growth, and leaf-out phenology of red maple (Acer rubrum) seedlings in response to experimental forest soil warming. Overall, the provenances showed diverging responses to increases in temperature, indicating a genetic-by-environment interaction effect. In particular, the seedlings sourced from different regions displayed significantly different magnitudes of change in leaf unfolding date in response to the warming treatment. These findings support the premise that locally adapted populations respond differently to changes in temperature.