DOI: 10.5061/dryad.280gb5mx2
title: Data from: Rapid evolution of flower phenology and clonality in restored populations of multiple grassland species

description: Restoration of terrestrial ecosystems often requires re-introduction of
 plants. In restored sites, the plants often face environments that differ
 from those of natural populations. This can affect plant traits, reduce
 performance and impose novel selection pressures. As a response, restored
 populations might rapidly evolve and adapt to the novel conditions. This
 may enhance population survival and contribute to restoration success but
 has been rarely tested so far. Here, we focused on populations of three
 grassland species restored 20 years ago (Galium wirtgenii, Inula salicina
 and Centaurea jacea) by the transfer of green hay, and compared them with
 donor populations that were the source of the hay. We measured plants both
 in situ and in a common garden under control and three stress conditions.
 In-situ, plants in restored sites flowered earlier than plants in donor
 sites in two out of the three species. In the common garden, plants from
 the restored populations flowered earlier (in Galium) or showed increased
 plasticity of clonal propagation in response to clipping (in Inula). Both
 these traits suggest rapid adaptation to the contrasting mowing regimes in
 restored in comparison to the donor sites. In Centaurea, we detected no
 differentiation, neither in situ nor in the common garden. Synthesis and
 applications: Grassland plants introduced into degraded habitats within
 the framework of ecological restoration may quite commonly evolve in
 response to novel selection pressures at restored sites. This rapid
 evolution likely increases the plant's adaptation to the new
 conditions of the restored grassland and thus enhances the likelihood of
 survival of the population and ultimately restoration success. While most
 practitioners do not consider evolution to be part of restoration, our
 finding highlights that restored populations of grassland species can be
 systems with considerable eco-evolutionary dynamics.
description: There are two sets of mesurements: 1) in the
 field 2) in the common garden
description: # Data from: Rapid evolution of flower phenology and clonality in restored
 populations of multiple grassland species
 Comparison of plants from
 three species (*Galium wirtgenii*, *Inula salicina* and *Centaurea jacea*)
 from restored sites and sites that served as donor of seed material for
 the restoration. We compared the plants both *in situ,* and in a common
 garden under common and three stress conditions - nutrition deficiency,
 competition and clipping. *In-situ*, plants in restored sites flowered
 earlier than plants in donor sites in two out of the three species. In the
 common garden, plants from the restored populations flowered earlier (in
 *Galium*) or showed increased plasticity of clonal propagation in response
 to clipping (in *Inula*). In *Centaurea*, we detected no differentiation,
 neither *in-situ*, nor in the common garden. ## Description of the data
 and file structure There are two datasets, one from in-situ, and one from
 common garden. *NA* stands for missing values or non-available data.
 **Field_data_Bucharova_JApplEcol_Rapid_evolution_in_restoration -
 measurements *in situ*** Each line is one plant measured in the field
 (except CommunityBiomass, see below) *Variables:* * Nr - ID number, unique
 for each plant * PopulationHistory - if the plant was measured at restored
 or donor site * PlotID - identity of the site (there are many restored and
 donor sites) * Species - identity of the species * Height - plant height
 in cm * ProportionOpenFlowersGalium - Phenology status, specific for
 *Galium* - % of opened flowers at the time of measurement (other flowers
 were still flower buds) * PhenologyStageInula - Phenology status, specific
 for *Inula* - whether the plant was sterile, started to develop flower
 bud, or the bud was already developed * PhenologyStageInulaNummeric - the
 same as above, just coded as numeric from sterile (1) over started to
 develop flower bud (2) to developed bud (3) * ComunityBiomass - measured
 on the site level, not plant level as other variables. One value per site.
 Weight of dry biomass from 0.1 square meter, in grams. For analysis,
 restructure the data set so that there is one line per site.
 **Garden_data_Bucharova_JApplEcol_Rapid_evolution_in_restoration -
 measurements in the common garden** Each line is one plant measured in the
 common garden. Note that the seeds were collected at one pair of restored
 and donor sites (not multiple donor and restored sites as in the data set
 from the field) *Variables:* * ID - unique number of each plant
 * Species - species identity * PopulationHistory - whether
 seeds, from which the plan grew, was collected at restored or donor site *
 MotherID - identity of the field maternal plant. There were multiple
 offspring of the same maternal plant in the experiment. Use to correct for
 non-independence of the offspring from the same maternal plant. *
 Treatment - Stress treatment. Whether the plant grew under control
 condition, competition, nutrient deficiency, or it was clipped (as
 simulation of mowing). * FloweringDay - the day when the first flower
 opened (counted since seedling transplant to the common garden) *
 Inflorescence - the number of inflorescence at harvest * ClonalRunner - in
 *Inula* only, if the plant formed clonal runners or not * Height - plant
 height in cm * Biomass - above ground dry biomass in g