Work

The sleeping giant needs coffee: Overlooked areas for integrating plant ecophysiology and evolutionary biology

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Interpretations of evolutionary outcomes are limited without incorporation of physiological ecology, and ecophysiological interpretations would benefit from incorporating evolutionary perspectives. Although there has been a rise of studies in the last 20 years between these fields, evolutionary studies that incorporate plant physiology have largely focused on the same traits (e.g., flowering time, specific leaf area), neglecting cellular and developmental traits. This neglect is largely due to the high throughput demands in evolutionary studies and the lack of technological advancements in ecophysiology. However, this bias in measured traits has resulted in limiting our understanding of the evolution of plant form and function. On the other hand, most detailed studies on plant physiological and anatomical responses to the environment are either in applied sciences, focused on economically important plants, or examine model organisms rather than wild populations. These detailed ecophysiological studies generally do not incorporate evolutionary discourse, even though they often study adaptation. The aim of this synthesis is to offer a comprehensive resource, building upon previous works, for researchers to bridge the gap between ecophysiology and evolutionary ecology.

Source: American Journal of Botany

DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.70164

Author: Haley A. Branch

Institution: Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,660

Funders: National Science Foundation, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada