DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6d13255
title: Data from: Can the environment have a genetic basis? a case study of seedling establishment in Arabidopsis thaliana

description: The timing of seed germination determines the environment experienced by a
 plant’s most vulnerable life stage—the seedling. Germination is
 environmentally cued, and genotypes can differ in their sensitivity to
 environmental cues. When genotypes differ in their response to cues, and
 when cues accurately predict the post-germination environment, the
 post-germination environment experienced by seedlings can itself have a
 genetic basis and potential to evolve. We tested for genetic differences
 in the post-germination environment using Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes
 that vary in seed dormancy, a trait known to alter germination time. We
 dispersed seeds into the field in five seasonal cohorts over 1.5 years,
 observed germination timing for 5297 individuals, and measured the soil
 temperature and moisture experienced by individuals throughout their life
 cycle. We found that genotypes differed in the environments they
 experienced during seedling establishment. This environmental variation
 occurred because genotypes differed in their environmental sensitivity to
 germination cues, and pre-germination cues were correlated with
 post-germination environments. Seeds exhibited temporal habitat selection
 by germinating into a non-random subset of environmental conditions
 available, and seed dormancy increased the consistency of habitat
 selection. Strikingly, the post-germination environment affected fitness
 by altering the probability of seedling survival, such that genotypes that
 engaged in stronger habitat selection were less likely to reach
 reproduction. Our results suggest that environmentally-cued development
 may be a widespread mechanism by which genotypes can differ in the
 environment they experience, introducing the possibility that the
 environment itself can be inherited and can evolve.
description: 1. environmental
 dataHourly soil temperature
 (degrees C) and soil moisture (m^3 water/m^3 soil) recorded for the
 duration of our experiment (November 2011 to July 2013). Data were
 obtained using Onset HOBO data loggers, and one sensor for each
 environmental variable was placed at each of 12 spatial blocks. Columns
 D-O represent soil temperature for each individual block, while columns P
 to AA represent soil moisture for each individual
 block.2. germination
 dataGermination date for
 5297 individual seedlings observed in our study. Seeds were dispersed in 5
 seasonal cohorts over the course of 1 full year (“Dispersal”). Block
 refers to each of 12 spatial blocks, and row and column represent the
 spatial position within each block. The majority of the data in this file
 come from germination pots (“Pot_type”); however, if no seeds germinated
 in the germination replicate within the block, we included germination
 data from the life-history pot for that particular genotype and treatment
 combination. Thus, some “life-history” pots are included in the dataset.
 Genotype refers to one of eight genotypes included in the study. Mat
 refers to the temperature (degrees C) experienced by maternal plants
 before seeds were dispersed. Germ Date represents the date the seedling
 was first observed in the field. Number of seedlings per pot is calculated
 for each pot ID, and thus is not unique to each seedling. The experimental
 design included a dispersal of 15 seeds per pot; however, because seeds
 are extremely small, in some pots greater than 15 seeds were
 dispersed.3. life history and
 fitness dataLife history and fitness
 data for 418 focal individuals observed in our study. Seeds were dispersed
 in 5 seasonal cohorts over the course of 1 full year (“Dispersal”). Block
 refers to each of 12 spatial blocks, and row and column represent the
 spatial position within each block. Data come exclusively from
 life-history pots. Genotype refers to one of eight genotypes included in
 the study. Mat refers to the temperature (degrees C) experienced by
 maternal plants before seeds were dispersed. Dispersal date represents the
 calendar date when seeds were placed in the field, while germination date,
 bolt date, flower date, 90% seed maturation, and dead date represent the
 first date during which these developmental stages were observed. Days to
 germ represents the number of days from dispersal until germination, while
 days to bolt, flower, mature, and death (lifespan) represent the number of
 days between germination and the first observation of each developmental
 stage. Survival to flowering is binary; 0 = individual died before
 reproduction; 1= individual survived to flowering. Flowering time
 represents the number of days from germination until appearance of the
 first flower. Flowering interval represents the number of days from
 appearance of the first flower until 90% seed maturation. Fecundity
 represents total number of siliques produced. Number of unique treatment
 combinations (n=413) is slightly lower than total number of focal
 individuals (n=418), as five treatment combinations included two replicate
 pots within a single block.3. fitness data (life history
 pots).csv