Climate-driven in-situ trait variation in an annual ruderal grass across Europe
Abstract
Background and Aims Plant functional traits link environmental conditions to plant performance and adaptation. Growing evidence suggests that intraspecific trait variation can be as important as differences between species, yet large intraspecific studies of in-situ variation remain rare. While most studies have focused on plant morphological traits, the concentrations of elemental nutrients in seeds have received much less attention so far. Methods We conducted a large-scale in-situ study of the widespread annual ruderal grass Hordeum murinum. We sampled 2070 individuals from 207 populations across a large part of its native range in Europe and North Africa. We measured seed ripening phenology and growth-related traits in-situ and analyzed concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seeds. Key results We found that Hordeum murinum grew larger, produced seeds later, and had heavier seeds in colder and wetter regions. Plants growing in denser vegetation were taller and produced heavier seeds but formed fewer spikes. Concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seed generally declined with seed weight and were primarily driven by climatic variables, whereas soil conditions had only minor effects on plant traits and seed nutrients. Population identity explained a substantial proportion of trait variation, indicating a possible genetic component. Conclusions Our findings provide a comprehensive view of how Hordeum murinum responds to environmental gradients across its European distribution. Climatic variables, particularly temperature, are key drivers of reproductive timing and concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seed, whereas local environmental conditions, such as biotic pressures, are more critical for growth-related traits. Together, these patterns indicate that Hordeum murinum modulates its growth and reproductive investment along environmental gradients, balancing phenology, stress tolerance, and limited competitive capacity.
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BibTeX
@article{villhauer2026climatedriven,
title = {{Climate-driven in-situ trait variation in an annual ruderal grass across Europe}},
author = {Helene Villhauer and Timo Hellwig and Anna Elisabeth Backhaus and Przemyslaw Baranow and Albane Bignon and José Manuel Blanco Moreno and Denise V M Blume and Anna Bomanowska and Milan Brankov and Luís P da Silva and Andreas D Drouzas and Walter Durka and Severin Einspanier and Arndt Hampe and Miloš Ilić and Konrad Kaczmarek and Abdenour Kheloufi and Marta Kolanowska and Kamil Konowalik and Izabela Krzemińska and Sandy Jan Labarosa and Mathieu Leclerc and Matej Lexa and Lahouaria Mounia Mansouri and Víctor Manzanares-Vázquez and Sabine Metzger and Nadine Mitschunas and Jonathan Moore and Ondřej Mudrák and Monika Myśliwy and Pablo Neira and Nebojša Nikolić and Agnieszka Nobis and Marcin Nobis and Artur Nosalewicz and Sławomir Nowak and Sylvain Pincebourde and Boris Radak and Agnieszka Rewicz and Encarna Rodríguez-García and Carmen Romeralo and Aritz Royo-Esnal and Arne Saatkamp and Ali Sahri and Francesco Santi and Henryk Straube and Jannis Straube and Katalin Szitár and Joel Torra and Markus Wagner and Adrian Wysocki and Anis Edena Zarantonello and Stanislav Kopriva and Maria von Korff and Anna Bucharova},
journal = {Annals of Botany},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1093/aob/mcag164},
url = {https://u-picardie.hal.science/hal-05766737v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Climate-driven in-situ trait variation in an annual ruderal grass across Europe
AU - Helene Villhauer
AU - Timo Hellwig
AU - Anna Elisabeth Backhaus
AU - Przemyslaw Baranow
AU - Albane Bignon
AU - José Manuel Blanco Moreno
AU - Denise V M Blume
AU - Anna Bomanowska
AU - Milan Brankov
AU - Luís P da Silva
AU - Andreas D Drouzas
AU - Walter Durka
AU - Severin Einspanier
AU - Arndt Hampe
AU - Miloš Ilić
AU - Konrad Kaczmarek
AU - Abdenour Kheloufi
AU - Marta Kolanowska
AU - Kamil Konowalik
AU - Izabela Krzemińska
AU - Sandy Jan Labarosa
AU - Mathieu Leclerc
AU - Matej Lexa
AU - Lahouaria Mounia Mansouri
AU - Víctor Manzanares-Vázquez
AU - Sabine Metzger
AU - Nadine Mitschunas
AU - Jonathan Moore
AU - Ondřej Mudrák
AU - Monika Myśliwy
AU - Pablo Neira
AU - Nebojša Nikolić
AU - Agnieszka Nobis
AU - Marcin Nobis
AU - Artur Nosalewicz
AU - Sławomir Nowak
AU - Sylvain Pincebourde
AU - Boris Radak
AU - Agnieszka Rewicz
AU - Encarna Rodríguez-García
AU - Carmen Romeralo
AU - Aritz Royo-Esnal
AU - Arne Saatkamp
AU - Ali Sahri
AU - Francesco Santi
AU - Henryk Straube
AU - Jannis Straube
AU - Katalin Szitár
AU - Joel Torra
AU - Markus Wagner
AU - Adrian Wysocki
AU - Anis Edena Zarantonello
AU - Stanislav Kopriva
AU - Maria von Korff
AU - Anna Bucharova
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/27
JO - Annals of Botany
DO - 10.1093/aob/mcag164
UR - https://u-picardie.hal.science/hal-05766737v1
AB - Background and Aims Plant functional traits link environmental conditions to plant performance and adaptation. Growing evidence suggests that intraspecific trait variation can be as important as differences between species, yet large intraspecific studies of in-situ variation remain rare. While most studies have focused on plant morphological traits, the concentrations of elemental nutrients in seeds have received much less attention so far. Methods We conducted a large-scale in-situ study of the widespread annual ruderal grass Hordeum murinum. We sampled 2070 individuals from 207 populations across a large part of its native range in Europe and North Africa. We measured seed ripening phenology and growth-related traits in-situ and analyzed concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seeds. Key results We found that Hordeum murinum grew larger, produced seeds later, and had heavier seeds in colder and wetter regions. Plants growing in denser vegetation were taller and produced heavier seeds but formed fewer spikes. Concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seed generally declined with seed weight and were primarily driven by climatic variables, whereas soil conditions had only minor effects on plant traits and seed nutrients. Population identity explained a substantial proportion of trait variation, indicating a possible genetic component. Conclusions Our findings provide a comprehensive view of how Hordeum murinum responds to environmental gradients across its European distribution. Climatic variables, particularly temperature, are key drivers of reproductive timing and concentrations of elemental nutrients in the seed, whereas local environmental conditions, such as biotic pressures, are more critical for growth-related traits. Together, these patterns indicate that Hordeum murinum modulates its growth and reproductive investment along environmental gradients, balancing phenology, stress tolerance, and limited competitive capacity.
SN - 0305-7364
SN - 1095-8290
ER -