Genotypes of the aquatic plant Myriophyllum spicatum with different growth strategies show contrasting sensitivities to copper contamination.

Genotypic variability has been considered for years as a key attribute in species adaptation to new environments. It has been extensively studied in a context of chemical resistance, but remains poorly studied in response to chemical exposure in a context of global change. As aquatic ecosystems are particularly affected by environmental changes, we aimed to study how genotypic variability could inflect the sensitivity of aquatic plants to chemicals. Seven genotypes of Myriophyllum spicatum were exposed to three copper concentrations at 0, 0.15 and 0.5 mg/L. The sensitivity of the different genotypes was assessed through several endpoints such as relative growth rate (RGR) and morphological traits, as well as physiological markers, such as plant biomacromolecular composition. Our results showed that genotypes exhibited significant differences in their life-history traits in absence of chemical contamination. Some trait syndromes were observed, and three growth strategies were identified: (1) biomass production and main shoot elongation, (2) dry matter storage with denser whorls to promote resource conservation and (3) lateral shoot production. An up to eightfold difference in sensitivity for growth-related endpoints was observed among genotypes. Differences in sensitivity were partly attributed to morphological life-history traits. Our results confirm that genotypic variability can significantly affect M. spicatum sensitivity to Cu, and may influence the outcomes of laboratory testing based on the study of one single genotype. We recommend including genotypic variation as an assessment factor in ecological risk assessment and to study this source of variability more in depth as a possible driver of ecosystem resilience.