Our findings offer valuable insights into how environmental conditions and ploidy levels interact to shape ecological relationships and cytotype distributions, enhancing our understanding of the long-term establishment and persistence of polyploids.

💡 Result 2: Why does this happen?
Competitive outcomes were driven by functional traits 🌿 :
• SLA (growth strategy) contributes to competitive effects
• AN, Fv/Fm, iWUE (photosynthesis & water-use efficiency) are involve in competition tolerance

💡 Result 1: Water availability shifts the balance.
• Under high water: lower ploidy levels (2x and 4x) outcompeted higher ploidy cytotypes
• Under drought: 6x and 12x gain the competitive edge
👉 Overall, we predict competitive exclusion, with coexistence only in 4x–12x (control) and 2x–4x (drought)

To test this, we ran a greenhouse competition experiment with 4 cytotypes of the wild carnation Dianthus broteri (2x, 4x, 6x, 12x) under two contrasting watering regimes 💧/🚫💧

Polyploidy is an important mechanism in plant evolution. However, even within those polyploid plant species that become established initially, only a few persist in the long term. One possible explanation for this is the competition between polyploids and their parentals in secondary contact zones

📢 New paper out!
"Functional traits and water availability shape competitive dynamics between cytotypes in the Dianthus broteri polyploid complex" 🌱 💧
@journalofecology.bsky.social @fbalao.bsky.social @JavierLopez @EnriqueMateos
#Polyploidy #Competition
👉 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

💧Water shapes the fate of polyploid plants! In Dianthus broteri, higher polyploids thrive in dry conditions, while lower ploidy levels win when water is abundant, thanks to key functional physiological traits.🌼#Polyploidy buff.ly/alH3z1m

Last week we were in Pontevedra for the @sibecol-aeet-25.bsky.social congress! 🌿 I presented our work on how soil water availability shapes competitive dynamics between cytotypes in a polyploid complex 💧📊 Grateful for the inspiring talks & great discussions! #SIBECOL2025 #PlantEcology #Polyploidy

🌿 ¿Trabajas con plantas poliploides?
Envía tu resumen al simposio Ecología y evolución en plantas poliploides en #SEBOT2025 🌱
📍 Sevilla, 22–25 sept
🗓️ Deadline: 30 mayo
Organizan: F. Balao & A. Rodríguez (Univ. Sevilla)
🔗 www.congresosebot2025.com/index.php?se...