Abstract

Global warming is already affecting plant phenology, growth and reproduction. A wide range of evidence indicates warming effects on reproductive and vegetative traits, as well as phenology, but seldom do studies assess these traits in concert and across the whole of a plant's life cycle, particularly in wild species. Further, while there is evidence that these effects vary between species little is known about the extent of within-species variation for plant persistence under future warming scenarios. We assessed trait variation in response to warming in Oreomyrrhis eriopoda, an Australian native montane herb, in which within-species variation in germination strategy and growth characteristics has been demonstrated. We quantified associations between developmental trajectories and population-level variation in germination timing and examined whether the next-generation traits are altered by maternal growth conditions. Warming effects were expressed in different traits during different developmental stages. The effect of warming varied as a function of germination strategy, but germination strategy itself was conserved across generations. Thus, we conclude that understand the response of wild species to warming takes a whole-of-life perspective and attention to ecologically significant patterns of within species variation.