Resurrection Study Database on Plant Evolution and Climate Change

Figshare hosts a database compiled for a meta-analysis on plant evolutionary responses to global change. The data supports a review of 61 studies, including a meta-analysis of 46 studies, focusing on rapid evolution in plant species. It examines traits like phenology and leaf physiology across populations in North America and Europe.

Use Cases

• Conduct a meta-analysis on the magnitude of evolutionary change in annual versus perennial plant species using study-level data.
• Analyze correlations between intervening years separating generations and observed shifts in phenology or leaf traits across compiled studies.
• Investigate geographic bias by comparing the prevalence of studies from North America and Europe to other regions in the database.
• Examine the evidence for evolution in phenotypic plasticity, particularly in response to drought stress, as documented in the review.

Strengths

• Compiles data from a substantial body of research, specifically 61 studies for review and 46 for meta-analysis.
• Focuses on a specific, powerful methodological approach (the resurrection method) for studying plant evolution.
• Covers a relevant time span for studying contemporary evolution, implied by 'two decades' of research.

Limitations

• The dataset scope is limited to the specific literature review and meta-analysis, not raw experimental data from the original studies.
• Geographic coverage is biased, as most included studies involve plant species in North America and Europe.
• The small file size (569.8 KB) suggests the dataset is a curated summary rather than a large, primary data collection.

Provenance

Source

Lillie Pennington via figshare.

Collection Method

Compiled database from a literature review and meta-analysis of published resurrection studies.

Time Range

Covers studies from approximately two decades, as indicated by the title.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Primarily North America and Europe, based on the description.