Seed dormancy varies widely among Arabidopsis thaliana populations both between and within Fennoscandia and Italy

The timing of germination is a key life-history trait in plants, which is strongly affected by the strength of seed dormancy. Continental-wide genetic variation in seed dormancy has been related to differences in climate and the timing of conditions suitable for seedling establishment. However, for predictions of adaptive potential and consequences of climatic change, information is needed regarding the extent to which seed dormancy varies within climatic regions and the factors driving such variation. We quantified dormancy of seeds produced by 17 Italian and 28 Fennoscandian populations of Arabidopsis thaliana when grown in the greenhouse and at two field sites in Italy and Sweden. To identify possible drivers of among-population variation in seed dormancy, we examined the relationship between seed dormancy and climate at the site of population origin, and between seed dormancy and flowering time. Seed dormancy was on average stronger in the Italian compared to the Fennoscandian popul...