Abstract

1. Evolutionary change begins at the population scale. Therefore, understanding adaptive variation requires the identification of the factors maintaining and shaping standing genetic variation at the within-population level. Spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity represent ecological drivers of within-population genetic variation, determining the evolutionary trajectory of populations along

Seeds, growth rates and duration of growth influence plant development. However, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how they lead to larger and higher-yielding plants, as these traits have not yet been explicitly studied in combination and across ontogeny. Seed size and growth dynamics have evolved differently during domestication and improvement. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the relationships

1. Rapid technological advancements and increasing data availability have improved the capacity to monitor and evaluate Earth’s ecology via remote sensing. However, remote sensing is notoriously ‘blind’ to fine-scale ecological processes such as interactions among plants, which encompass a central topic in ecology.

1. Pollinators are declining globally, with climate change implicated as an important driver. Climate change can induce phenological shifts and reduce floral resources for pollinators, but little is known about its effects on floral attractiveness and how this might cascade to affect pollinators, pollination functions and plant fitness.