Data from: Range-wide variations in common milkweed traits and their effect on monarch larvae

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  • ABSTRACT Premise. Leaf economic spectrum (LES) theory has historically been employed to inform vegetation models of ecosystem processes, but largely neglects intraspecific variation and biotic interactions. We attempt to integrate across environment-plant trait-herbivore interactions within a species at a range-wide scale.

    Methods. We measured traits in 53 populations spanning the range of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and used a common garden to determine the role of environment in driving patterns of intraspecific variation. We used a feeding trial to determine the role of plant traits in monarch (Danaus plexippus) larval development.

    Results. Trait-trait relationships largely follow interspecific patterns in LES theory and persist in a common garden when individual traits change. Common milkweed shows intraspecific variation and biogeographic clines in traits. Clines do not persist in a common garden. Larvae ate more and grew larger when fed plants with more nitrogen. A longitudinal environmental gradient in precipitation corresponds to a resource gradient in plant nitrogen which produces a gradient in larvae performance.

    Conclusions. Biogeographic patterns in common milkweed traits can sometimes be predicted from LES, are largely driven by environmental conditions, and have consequences for monarch larval performance. Changes to nutrient dynamics of landscapes with common milkweed could potentially influence monarch population dynamics. We show how biogeographic trends in intraspecific variation can influence key ecological interactions, especially in common species with large distributions.     ... [Read More]

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Data Citation
  • DeLaMater, D. S., Couture, J. J., Puzey, J. R., & Dalgleish, H. J. (2020). Data from: Range-wide variations in common milkweed traits and their effect on monarch larvae. Duke Research Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.7924/r4gb24j1x
DOI
  • 10.7924/r4gb24j1x
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  • ark:/87924/r4gb24j1x
Collection Dates
  • 2016 June - 2016 August
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Related Materials
  • DeLaMater, D. S., Couture, J. J., Puzey, J. R., and Dalgleish, H. J.. 2021. Range‐wide variations in common milkweed traits and their effect on monarch larvae. American Journal of Botany 108(3): 388– 401.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1630
Funding Agency
  • The Garden Club of America
  • Explorers Club Washington Group
  • National Geographic
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  • Data from: Range-wide variations in common milkweed traits and their effect on monarch larvae
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Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details ReadMe.txt 2020-10-05 Public Download
file details variableDefinitions.txt 2020-10-05 Public Download
file details code_DeLaMater2020_AJB.R 2020-10-05 Public Download
file details data_DeLaMater2020_AJB_Larvae.csv 2020-10-05 Public Download
file details data_DeLaMater2020_AJB_PlantTraitsEnvVars.csv 2020-10-05 Public Download
file details data_DeLaMater2020_AJB_TraitVariation.csv 2020-10-05 Public Download

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