Who knew? There are major differences between genecology common gardens and reciprocal transplant experiments

Reciprocal common gardens are the gold standard for measuring local adaptation, and are also used to develop seed transfer zones (genecology studies). There are some major differences in these approaches. Genecology studies infer patterns of selection from phenotype/environment correlations, while local adaptation gardens measure relative fitness of individuals. These differences have implications for creation (transplants vs. seeds), conditions (whether to weed/water), and the importance of plant survival (death is problematic for genecology, while it is a valuable response for measuring local adaptation). Understanding these differences can help us all design the right type of garden for particular ecological questions.