普通野生稻在中国的分布跨越了较大的地理范围，表现出明显的生态群变异，从而为研究普通野生稻沿地理分布格局及其适应机制，验证环境因子、生理因子和遗传因子对物种分布格局的影响提供了合适的材料。
中科院武汉植物园湿地生态学科组博士研究生周雯在刘贵华研究员的指导下，对中国6个省份34个普通野生稻自然种群的形态性状进行了考察，并于普通野生稻中国分布区的最南部（海南陵水）和北缘以外（湖北武汉）分别进行了同质种植园的移栽试验，以考查不同地理种群个体移栽后的响应情况。结果表明，表征普通野生稻生殖特征的种子大小与纬度和经度正相关，表征光合特征的剑叶面积与纬度负相关，这两个性状的地理格局主要与温度的地理变化关联。移栽试验结果显示，种子大小、剑叶面积、剑叶形态以及每穗颖果数的地理变异是由遗传分化和表型可塑性共同作用的结果。在南部的陵水同质园中，所有移栽种群个体均能成活并完成有性繁殖过程，而在北部的武汉同质园中只有65%的种群繁殖成功，58%的种群成功越冬，不成功的种群主要是南部种群。综合以上结果，研究人员认为，对极端低温的耐受性和生殖与生长之间不对称的变化是限制普通野生稻向北扩张的主要因素。本研究结果对于理解普通野生稻地理分布限制的形成机制及其对全球变化的响应趋势具有重要意义。研究结果在Journal of Ecology上在线发表。
本项研究获得中科院战略性科技先导专项（XDA05130403）、财政部战略资源科技支撑运行专项（KSCX2-YW-Z-1005）及国家自然科学基金（NSFC30970469）的支持。
普通野生稻北部同质园移栽种群的（a）越冬存活率和（b）有性繁殖成功率与其来源纬度之间的关系。虚线表示各位点自然种群的历史冬季最低温。在第二个生长季初始时出现一片或多片绿叶就认定该植株成功越冬。每个种群出现一个或多个植株抽穗的情况就认定为有性繁殖成功。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
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Journal of Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12143
Geographic variation and local adaptation in Oryza rufipogon across its climatic range in China
Wen Zhou, Zhixiu Wang, Anthony J. Davy, Guihua Liu
1. Variation in plant functional traits and demographic behaviour in populations of widely distributed species on geographic gradients may be key to understanding their geographic range limits. Oryza rufipogon, a wild progenitor of rice, occurs in discrete wetland populations over a wide latitudinal range in China.
2. We examined correlations between plant functional traits, latitude, longitude and climatic variables in 34 populations of O. rufipogon across its northern range limit. We also investigated the responses of individuals from all populations after transplantation to two experimental gardens: one north of its range and the other in the extreme south.
3. Seed mass in the field was positively correlated with latitude and longitude, whereas flag-leaf area was negatively correlated with latitude; both effects could be explained largely as a response to temperature. Transplantation revealed that both plasticity and population differentiation contributed to geographical variation. All populations reproduced and overwintered in the southern garden but, in the northern garden, only populations from the northern range were able to reproduce (65%) and survive the winter (58%).
4. Synthesis. Environmentally-determined variation in plant functional traits is complex, with both plastic trade-offs between traits and genetic differentiation between populations contributing to the location of the northern limit of Oryza rufipogon.
