Data from: Frost sensitivity of leaves and flowers of subalpine plants is related to tissue type and phenology

Harsh abiotic conditions–such as low temperatures that lead to spring and
summer frost events in high-elevation and high-latitude ecosystems–can
have strong negative consequences for plant growth, survival, and
reproduction. Despite the predicted increase in episodic frost events
under continued climate change in some ecosystems, our general
understanding of the factors associated with frost sensitivity of
reproductive and vegetative plant structures in natural plant communities
is limited. The timing of growth and reproduction may be an important
strategy by which plants can avoid frost. In this study, we experimentally
investigated the frost sensitivity of eight long-lived perennial
herbaceous plant species from a subalpine ecosystem in the Colorado Rocky
Mountains, USA. The study taxa represent four congeneric pairs from four
flowering plants families; within each pair is a species with early and
late growth and reproductive phenology. Thus, we control for evolutionary
history–and therefore additional traits shared through common ancestry– to
some degree, while examining the influence of phenology on frost
sensitivity. Specifically, we compared frost sensitivity of vegetative and
reproductive structures for each species, and asked whether frost
sensitivity was similar between species within congeneric pairs, or
instead was related to phenology (i.e. differences in the timing of growth
and reproduction). For most species (6 of 8), flowers were more sensitive
to frost than leaves. Within most congeneric pairs (3 of 4), the leaves of
species with later phenology were significantly more sensitive to frost
than the leaves of species with earlier phenology. For flowers, the
later-flowering species were more sensitive in two of the four congeneric
pairs. Synthesis: This study contributes to our general understanding of
factors related to interspecific differences in plant sensitivity to
episodic frost events of naturally occurring species. The increased frost
sensitivity of reproductive structures compared to vegetative structures
may be a widespread pattern for long-lived perennial plants. Furthermore,
we find evidence for a trade-off between phenology and frost sensitivity,
whereby species with later phenology exhibit higher frost sensitivity
compared to species with earlier phenology. These results have
implications for plant populations, species interactions, and ecological
communities.