Early life history divergence mediates elevational adaptation in a perennial alpine plant

Spatially divergent natural selection drives adaptation to contrasting environments and the evolution of ecotypes. Understanding this process in perennial plants is challenging because natural selection acts on multiple life history traits linked by fitness trade-offs. In a multi-year reciprocal transplant experiment of high and low elevation populations of the alpine carnation Dianthus carthusianorum in the Central Alps, we tested how different stages of the life cycle contribute to adaptation. Moreover, we used matrix population models to infer the specific contributions of individual life stages to fitness, coupled with trade-off analyses. We found genotype x environment interactions consistent with elevational adaptation both in single fitness components linked to reproduction and survival, and in integrative fitness estimates. Adaptation at low elevation is driven by early reproduction, in contrast to an opposite strategy at high elevation. Adaptive life-history differences between..., Dataset contains fitness data collected in a reciprocal transplant expiemrent of a pernenial carnation over a period of three years. Life stage specific survival, flowering and fecundity and rosette size is included., , # Early life history divergence mediates elevational adaptation in a perennial alpine plant

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gxd2547sj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gxd2547sj)

The dataset contains fitness data of a perennial plant collected over a period of three years growing in a reciprocal transplant experiment. Three low and three high elevation populations of the perennial carnation *Dianthus carthusianourm* were sampled at low and high elevations. Seeds were sown in a greenhouse and the resulting seedlings were transplanted to two low and to two high elevation transplant sites following a randomized block design. The plants in the field sites were monitored for three years 2016-2018 and fitness and rosette size data continously collected. The dataset contains life stage specific survival, flowering incidence and fecundity and rosette size.

## Description of the data and file structure

Variable name - Description

* site - transplant site
* plot - experimental block within trans...