Variation in response to water availability across Phlox species

Plants adapt to environmental variation both by evolving divergent trait means and by plastically adjusting trait expression in response to local conditions. While these dual strategies are essential for persistence in diverse environments, how they interact and vary across closely related species is understudied. For plants, water availability is a particularly important selective force that shapes species distributions, selects for growth habit and life history strategy, and can dictate individuals’ plastic expressions of trait values and reproductive success. Here, we use ecological niche modeling, field soil collections, and a controlled drought experiment to test how biogeography and evolutionary history influence responses to limited water availability in three closely related Texas annual Phlox species and their F1 hybrids. We infer that the species occupy distinct niches that diverge along a primary axis of water availably and soil moisture. Each species has a distinct..., , # Reference Information

## Provenance for this README

* File name: README.md
* Authors: Christina Steinecke, Julius A. Tabin
* Date created: 2025-05-30
* Date most recently modified: 2025-06-03

## Dataset Version and Release History

* Current Version:
* Number: 1.0.1
* Date: 2025-10-18
* Persistent identifier: DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7z4
* Summary of changes: Compiled for the first time
* Embargo Provenance: n/a
* Scope of embargo: n/a
* Embargo period: n/a

## Dataset Attribution and Usage

* Dataset Title: Data for the article \"Variation in response to water availability across Phlox species\"
* Persistent Identifier: [DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7z4](10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7z4)
* Dataset Contributors:
* Creators: Christina Steinecke, Julius A. Tabin, James Caven, Charlie O. Hale, Antonio Serrato-Capuchina, and Robin Hopkins
* Date of Issue: 2025-05-30
* License: Use of these data from Zenodo is covered by the following license:
* Title: GNU General Public License v3.0
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