Data from: Genetic component of flammability variation in a Mediterranean shrub

Recurrent fires impose a strong selection pressure in many ecosystems worldwide. In such ecosystems, plant flammability is of paramount importance because it enhances population persistence, particularly in non-resprouting species. Indeed, there is evidence of phenotypic divergence of flammability under different fire regimes. Our general hypothesis is that flammability-enhancing traits are adaptive; here we test whether they have a genetic component. To test this hypothesis we used the post-fire obligate seeder Ulex parviflorus from sites historically exposed to different fire recurrence. We associated molecular variation in potentially adaptive loci detected with a genomic scan (using AFLP markers) to individual phenotypic variability in flammability across fire regimes. We found that at least 42% of the phenotypic variation in flammability was explained by the genetic divergence in a subset of AFLP loci. In spite of generalised gene flow, the genetic variability was structured by differences in fire recurrence. Our results provide the first field evidence supporting that traits enhancing plant flammability have a genetic component and thus can be responding to natural selection driven by fire. These results highlight the importance of flammability as an adaptive trait in fire-prone ecosystems.Ulex parviflorus: AFLP and flammability, Valencia, SpainUlex parviflorus AFLP loci and plant flammability. COLUMNS: 382 columns= 376 AFLP loci, 2 PCA flammability scores, fire regime, site and individual, and an additional columns (the first column) indicating the 4 rows with loci usage information (see rows). ROWS: 174 rows= column header, 169 individuals, and the last 4 rows (171 to 174) indicates the loci used in each of the analysis indicated in column 1 (see Table S4 in Moreira et al.).Ulex-AFLP-flammability.tx