Polyploidy may affect a species’ eco-physiology, which might, in turn, trigger a shift in the distribution of its cytotypes. The arcto-alpine Hieracium alpinum (Asteraceae) encompasses two geographically allopatric cytotypes: diploids occurring in the South-Eastern Carpathians and triploids occupying the remaining, much larger part of the species range. We ask whether the natural populations of these two cytotypes, growing under partially different biotic and abiotic conditions, also differ in selected eco-physiological traits. To answer this question, we analyzed specific leaf area, foliar carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents, and their stable isotope compositions in plants sampled in 27 populations across the species range. Our results did not show any differences in these traits, except foliar N content being significantly higher in diploids. This pattern was mostly driven by the Scandinavian triploid populations exposed to significantly lower amounts of solar radiation and precipitation during the growing season when compared to the continental populations. As a consequence, in addition to lower foliar N content, the Scandinavian populations exhibited also lower foliar C content, but higher C/N ratios than continental populations regardless of their cytotype. Across the species range, foliar N and C contents were positively associated with the amount of precipitation, whilst δ¹⁵N was positively associated with temperature and negatively with the surrounding species richness and vegetation cover. Significantly lower values of δ¹³C in Scandinavian populations are likely the effect of increased atmospheric pressure due to the lower elevational position of Scandinavian sites. Reproductive output was positively linked to amounts of foliar nitrogen and δ¹⁵N. Our data thus show that (1) the latitudinal-driven abiotic and biotic factors affected eco-physiological traits in significantly larger extent than ploidy level and that (2) continental and Scandinavian populations, though all confined to the alpine belt, considerably differ in their eco-physiology likely reflecting different adaptation strategies.

中文翻译：

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横向和海拔梯度的影响超过了二倍体和三倍体山茱Hi的生态生理叶片性状的细胞间差异的影响

多倍体可能影响物种的生态生理，进而可能触发其细胞类型分布的变化。包含arcTo高山山柳茅菊科（Asteraceae）涵盖两种异源的异地细胞类型：东南喀尔巴阡山脉中的二倍体和其余物种中更大部分的三倍体。我们问这两种细胞类型的自然种群是否在部分不同的生物和非生物条件下生长，在选择的生态生理特征上是否也不同。为了回答这个问题，我们分析了在整个物种范围内的27个种群中采样的植物中的特定叶面积，叶碳（C）和氮（N）含量及其稳定同位素组成。我们的结果没有显示出这些性状的任何差异，只是二倍体中叶面的氮含量明显更高。与大陆种群相比，这种模式主要是由斯堪的纳维亚三倍体种群在生长季节暴露于低得多的太阳辐射和降水量驱动的。结果，除了叶面氮含量较低外，斯堪的纳维亚种群的叶面C含量也较低，但无论其细胞类型如何，其C / N比都比大陆种群高。在整个物种范围内，叶面氮和碳含量与降水量呈正相关，而δ¹⁵ N与温度成正相关，与周围物种的丰富度和植被覆盖呈负相关。显著δ的较低值¹³在斯堪的纳维亚种群C就容易增加大气压力的作用，由于斯堪的纳维亚站点的下部正视位置。生殖输出呈正链接到叶面氮的量和δ ^15个N.我们的数据因此表明：（1）纬向驱动非生物和生物因素的影响比在倍性水平显著较大程度和（2）的欧陆生态生理性状和斯堪的纳维亚人口虽然全部局限于高山地带，但其生态生理差异很大，可能反映了不同的适应策略。