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Interactions between species can influence access to resources and successful reproduction. One possible outcome of such interactions is reproductive character displacement. Here, the similarity of reproductive traits – such as flowering time – among close relatives growing in sympatry differ more so than when growing apart. However, evidence for the overall prevalence and direction of this phenomenon, or the stability of such differences under environmental change, remains untested across large taxonomic and spatial scales. We apply data from tens of thousands of herbarium specimens to examine character displacement in flowering time across 110 animal-pollinated angiosperm species in the eastern USA. We demonstrate that the degree and direction of phenological displacement among co-occurring closely related species pairs varies tremendously. Overall, flowering time displacement in sympatry is not common. However, displacement is generally greater among species pairs that flower close in time, regardless of direction. We additionally identify that future climate change may alter the nature of phenological displacement among many of these species pairs. On average, flowering times of closely related species were predicted to shift further apart by the mid-21st century, which may have significant future consequences for species interactions and gene flow.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. 

Reproductive character displacement has long been hypothesized to be a key determinant of speciation and co-existence in flowering plants. A central tenet of this hypothesis is that reproductive traits of close relatives growing in sympatry diverge more than they do where close relatives do not grow together. However, this idea remains untested across taxa and at large spatial scales. Here, we use data collected from tens of thousands of herbarium specimens to examine evidence for character displacement in flowering time for 91 closely-related pairs of animal-pollinated angiosperm species in the eastern USA. We see no evidence for overall phenological divergence in sympatry across regions, clades, or life histories. Rather our results indicate widespread convergence of flowering times in sympatry for species pairs that generally tend to flower close in time. We also find that climate change could alter the nature of these convergent flowering events by shifting them further apart in a majority species pair comparisons. Specifically, congeneric species in New England and the Atlantic Coastal Plain are projected to flower 2–4 days further apart, on average, by the mid-21st century as warming temperatures drive species-specific phenological shifts within genera. This may have significant consequences for species interactions and gene flow, especially if current sympatric convergence in flowering times has resulted from facilitative interactions between species. 

Interactions between species can influence successful reproduction, resulting in reproductive character displacement, where the similarity of reproductive traits – such as flowering time – among close relatives growing together differ from when growing apart. Evidence for the overall prevalence and direction of this phenomenon, and its stability under environmental change, remains untested across large scales.

Using the power of crowdsourcing, we gathered phenological information from over 40 000 herbarium specimens, and investigated displacement in flowering time across 110 animal‐pollinated species in the eastern USA.

Overall, flowering time displacement is not common across large scales. However, displacement is generally greater among species pairs that flower close in time, regardless of direction. Furthermore, with climate change, the flowering times of closely related species are predicted, on average, to shift further apart by the mid‐21^stcentury.

We demonstrate that the degree and direction of phenological displacement among co‐occurring closely related species pairs varies tremendously. However, future climate change may alter the differences in reproductive timing among many of these species pairs, which may have significant consequences for species interactions and gene flow. Our study provides one promising path towards understanding how the phenological landscape is structured and may respond to future environmental change.

 

Mapping geographic mosaics of genetic variation and their consequences via genotype x environment interactions at large extents and high resolution has been limited by the scalability of DNA sequencing. Here, we address this challenge for cytotype (chromosome copy number) variation in quaking aspen, a drought‐impacted foundation tree species. We integrate airborne imaging spectroscopy data with ground‐based DNA sequencing data and canopy damage data in 391 km²of southwestern Colorado. We show that (1) aspen cover and cytotype can be remotely sensed at 1 m spatial resolution, (2) the geographic mosaic of cytotypes is heterogeneous and interdigitated, (3) triploids have higher leaf nitrogen, canopy water content, and carbon isotope shifts (δ¹³C) than diploids, and (4) canopy damage varies among cytotypes and depends on interactions with topography, canopy height, and trait variables. Triploids are at higher risk in hotter and drier conditions.