reciprocal transplant experiment

Knowledge graph centered on reciprocal transplant experiment with 76 nodes and 185 connections. Top connected: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Two-form Bumble Bee, Scarlet Gilia, Slender-tube Skyrocket.

Method synopsis

Multi-site common garden experiment using controlled crosses to partition genetic and environmental variance in vegetative and floral traits across a hybrid zone. Seeds from multiple genetic families planted across environmental gradients to estimate heritability and genotype-by-environment interactions.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 21 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — The impacts of environmental change on plant and microbial communities: A turf transplant experiment in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (2025). The protocol was originally introduced by Lifetime fitness in two generations of <i>Ipomopsis</i> hybrids (2008), Evolution. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Establish study sites
   Established study sites at High (3300 m, 38.97274 N, -107.04908 W), Mid (3150 m, 38.96046 N, -107.03262 W), and Low (2900 m, 38.93248 N, -107.01018 W) elevation in the subalpine meadows of the Elk Mountains near Crested Butte, Colorado, USA. Each site location had a southern aspect and approximate 10% slope.
   Quantities: 3 sites across 400-meter elevation gradientDuration: Established in 2017Conditions: Subalpine meadows with southern aspect and 10% slope
   Equipment: GPS coordinates measurement tools
2. Layout turf plots
   Each site was divided into five blocks of five 0.5 m x 0.5 m turfs arranged perpendicularly to the hillslope. Focused on grassland (grass/forb) vegetation and excluded shrubs when selecting turfs. Treatments were assigned randomly within each block.
   Quantities: 25 turfs per site (5 blocks × 5 turfs), total of 75 turfs initially, expanded to 90 turfs in 2018 with addition of sixth blockDuration: Initial setup in 2017, expanded in 2018Conditions: Grassland vegetation areas, avoiding shrubs
   Equipment: measurement tools for 0.5m x 0.5m plot demarcation
3. Assign transplant treatments

Typical Equipment

• shade-cloth canopy
• fencing materials
• watering equipment
• measurement tools

Output Measurements

• community composition changes
• species abundance shifts
• ecosystem function responses

Papers Using This Protocol (21)

Species Studied With This Protocol

Places Where Used