Clinal variation in quantitative traits but not in evolutionary potential along elevational and latitudinal gradients in the widespread Anthyllis vulneraria.

Premise: Strong elevational and latitudinal gradients allow the study of genetic differentiation in response to similar environmental changes. However, it is uncertain whether the environmental changes along the two types of gradients result in similar genetically based changes in quantitative traits. Peripheral arctic and alpine populations are thought to have less evolutionary potential than more central populations do.

Genetic diversity and differentiation of populations of along elevational and latitudinal gradients.

The abundant centre model (ACM) predicts that the suitability of environmental conditions for a species decreases from the centre of its distribution toward its range periphery and, consequently, its populations will become scarcer, smaller and more isolated, resulting in lower genetic diversity and increased differentiation. However, little is known about whether genetic diversity shows similar patterns along elevational and latitudinal gradients with similar changes in important environmental conditions. Using microsatellite markers, we studied the genetic diversity and structure of 20 populations each of along elevational gradients in the Alps from the valleys to the elevational limit (2500 m) and along a latitudinal gradient (2500 km) from Central Europe to the range margin in northern Scandinavia.

Altitude and latitude have different effects on population characteristics of the widespread plant Anthyllis vulneraria.

Widespread plants may provide natural models for how population processes change with temperature and other environmental variables and how they may respond to global change. Similar changes in temperature can occur along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients, but hardly any study has compared the effects of the two types of gradients. We studied populations of Anthyllis vulneraria along a latitudinal gradient from Central Europe to the range limit in the North and an altitudinal gradient in the Alps from 500 m to the altitudinal limit at 2500 m, both encompassing a change in annual mean temperature of c.