A central issue in ecology is to understand species geographic distribution and adaptation mechanisms under climate change, which is important to predict future species performance and thus contribute to ecosystem and biodiversity protection. Elevational gradients are among the most powerful ‘natural experiments’ for testing ecological and evolutionary responses of biota to geophysical influences. Previous studies have demonstrated that species adapted to abiotic and biotic changes (e.g. temperature, UV-B, soil nutrient, and herbivory) along elevation mainly through migration, phenotypic plasticity, genetic differentiation. However, studies on phenotypic variation along elevation gradients usually only investigate few traits at single species and their findings can be hardly generalized. Moreover, although most plants show some plasticity to climatic gradients, not all phenotypic variation is adaptive. It is necessary to generalize the adaptation mechanisms among a wide range of species by integrating phenotypic and molecular approaches, and to separate phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation through reciprocal transplantation or common garden experiments. In this workshop, we will share the latest knowledge at within and among species level, and discuss possible evolution allowing species to adapt to climate change.

Commentator 1: Kouki Hikosaka (Tohoku University)
Commentator 2: Gaku Kudo (Hokkaido University)