DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d2547d883
title: Correlation of plasticities to drought and shade: Implications for environmental niche overlap in drylands

description: Phenotypic plasticity can increase the extent of the environmental
 gradient occupied by a species (niche breadth) and modify the portion of
 niche space shared among co-occurring species (niche overlap). Thus,
 phenotypic plasticity may play a role in community assembly processes.
 Given that plants deal with a multivariate environment, and that
 functional traits are often correlated, plastic responses to different
 environmental factors are likely correlated. However, the implications of
 correlations of plasticities for niche overlap remain unexplored. Here, we
 present and evaluate a conceptual framework that links correlations of
 plasticities and niche overlap patterns among co-occurring plant species.
 We specifically tested in an arid shrubland whether positive, negative, or
 null correlations between plasticity to light and water availability would
 be associated with patterns of high, low, or random niche overlap,
 respectively. Field data identified light and water availability as key
 factors shaping herbaceous plant community structure. We estimated
 species’ niche breadth and niche overlap using two-dimensional
 kernel-density estimations (NOK) and standardised effect sizes of Pianka’s
 niche overlap index (OSES). We measured phenotypic plasticity to light and
 water availability in the six most abundant species in a greenhouse
 experiment. We used the plasticity index (PI) to test i) the relationship
 between plasticity to light and water availability, and ii) the
 association between overall plasticity (average PI across traits) and
 niche breadth. We found a positive relationship between plasticity to
 light and water availability. Increased overall plasticity was associated
 with a broader niche breadth. Both NOK and OSES estimations indicated a
 significant niche overlap pattern. Results supported one of the
 predictions of our conceptual framework: that a positive correlation of
 plasticities would lead to increased niche overlap. The verified
 conceptual framework broadens our understanding of the role of phenotypic
 plasticity in plant community coexistence.
description: These data come from a greenhouse experiment carried out for a
 subset of six species from the ten most abundant annual herbaceous species
 in Las Cardas Experimental Station (5436 ha; Universidad de Chile),
 located at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, northern-central Chile
 (30°15’S, 71°17’W).<br> <br>On the one hand, the experiment
 was conducted at Universidad de La Serena (29°54’S, 71°14’W; 40 km N of
 Las Cardas). We collected 60–80 seedlings for each of the six species.
 Seedlings (≤ 3 cm in height) were unearthed randomly from the four types
 of microsites and transplanted immediately into 500-cm3 pots with their
 natural soil. Plants were watered to ﬁeld capacity with tap water every
 other day. Seedlings were assigned to light conditions two weeks later and
 kept there for one week before watering treatments started. Each of the
 four experimental groups (sun/shade crossed by moist/drought) had 13–18
 seedlings per species. Methodological details regarding trait measurements
 are provided in the paper’s main text.<br>Overall, these data
 provide results that support that plastic responses to light and water
 availability are positively correlated and that overall plasticity
 enhanced niche breadth. On the other hand, all field
 data used in this study is available in a previous and permanent link on
 Dryad (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkm0z). This study correctly
 cited these accurate data (Escobedo et al. 2021b -
  https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13650). Therefore,
 here we have provided data on reproductive output (RO), reproductive
 allocation (RA), first flowering time (FFT), first reproductive output
 time (FRT), relative growth rate (RGR), final plant height (PH); basal
 stem diameter (BD); number of leaves (NL), number of branches (NB), leaf
 area (LA), leaf-dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA).
 Missing values are represented by the symbol NA (not available).
description: # Correlation of plasticities to drought and shade: Implications for
 environmental niche overlap in drylands These data come from a greenhouse
 experiment carried out for a subset of six species from the ten most
 abundant annual herbaceous species in Las Cardas Experimental Station
 (5436 ha; Universidad de Chile), located at the southern edge of the
 Atacama Desert, northern-central Chile (30°15’S, 71°17’W). On the one
 hand, the experiment was conducted at Universidad de La Serena (29°54’S,
 71°14’W; 40 km N of Las Cardas). We collected 60–80 seedlings for each of
 the six species. Seedlings (≤ 3 cm in height) were unearthed randomly from
 the four types of microsites and transplanted immediately into 500-cm3
 pots with their natural soil. Plants were watered to ﬁeld capacity with
 tap water every other day. Seedlings were assigned to light conditions two
 weeks later and kept there for one week before watering treatments
 started. Each of the four experimental groups (sun/shade crossed by
 moist/drought) had 13–18 seedlings per species. Methodological details
 regarding trait measurements are provided in the paper’s main text.
 Overall, these data provide results that support that plastic responses to
 light and water availability are positively correlated and that overall
 plasticity enhanced niche breadth. On the other hand, all field data used
 in this study is available in a previous and permanent link on Dryad
 (). This study correctly
 cited these accurate data (Escobedo et al. 2021b -
 ). Therefore, here we have
 provided data on reproductive output (RO), reproductive allocation (RA),
 first flowering time (FFT), first reproductive output time (FRT), relative
 growth rate (RGR), final plant height (PH); basal stem diameter (BD);
 number of leaves (NL), number of branches (NB), leaf area (LA), leaf-dry
 matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA). Missing values are
 represented by the symbol NA (not available). ## Description of the data
 and file structure * File count: 1 * Total file size: 101 KB * File
 formats: .xlsx The .xlsx file is composed of two sheets: 1. metadata
 includes all information about used variables, abbreviations, and units.
 2. traits: this contains all measured functional traits data. All the
 information and data for the analysis is self-contained in the file. ##
 Sharing/Access information Contact the corresponding author for other ways
 to access the data: