Adaptive Evolution in Urban Plant Populations

Urbanisation generates novel environmental gradients characterised by elevated temperatures, altered hydrology, fragmented habitats and anthropogenic pollutants. Plant populations within cities often exhibit rapid adaptive evolution driven by these unique selective pressures. Phenotypic shifts in morphology, phenology and physiology have been observed among urban and rural conspecifics, reflecting changes in flowering time, heat tolerance and resource allocation. Underlying these changes are shifts in allele frequencies at loci associated with stress response, developmental pathways and defence mechanisms. Genomic scans frequently reveal signatures of selection and genetic differentiation correlated with urban intensity, while common‐garden and reciprocal transplant experiments confirm that many observed trait differences have a heritable basis. Such adaptive responses have implications for urban biodiversity conservation, the design of resilient green infrastructures and the management of ecosystem services in built environments. By elucidating the mechanisms and outcomes of plant adaptation to cities, researchers can inform strategies for preserving native species, guiding restoration efforts and harnessing genetic resources for urban agriculture and climate resilience worldwide.

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Adaptive Evolution in Urban Plant Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in adaptive evolution in urban plant populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adaptive evolution: The process by which populations undergo genetic changes that increase their fitness under specific environmental conditions.

Urban heat island effect: The phenomenon where urban areas exhibit higher temperatures than surrounding rural regions due to altered land surfaces and human activities.

Urban–rural cline: A gradual change in a phenotypic trait or allele frequency observed along a gradient from urban centres to rural landscapes.

Genetic differentiation: The process by which populations accumulate genetic variation and diverge in allele frequencies, often in response to distinct selective pressures.

Vernalisation: The induction of flowering in plants following exposure to prolonged cold, ensuring reproductive timing aligns with favourable conditions.

References

1. Some like it hot: adaptation to the urban heat island in common dandelion. Evolution Letters (2024).
2. Predicting the strength of urban‐rural clines in a Mendelian polymorphism along a latitudinal gradient. Evolution Letters (2020).
3. An urban–rural spotlight: evolution at small spatial scales among urban and rural populations of common ragweed. Journal of Urban Ecology (2021).