Environmental Gradients Override Phylogenetic Effects in Plant Adaptation to High Elevation.

Environmental gradients, rather than phylogenetic relationships, primarily drive leaf trait variation in alpine plants across elevations.

• Why it matters: Understanding the factors influencing plant adaptation is crucial for predicting responses to climate change, especially in sensitive high-altitude ecosystems.
• What they did: The study analyzed 31 leaf traits from 336 published studies, examining intraspecific variation across diverse alpine plant species along elevation gradients.
• The result: Findings reveal that environmental factors override phylogenetic constraints in shaping leaf traits, highlighting the importance of local adaptation strategies in high-elevation plant species.