Journal article
Environmental and genetic correlates of allocation to sexual reproduction in the circumpolar plant Bistorta vivipara
American journal of botany, Vol.102(7), pp.1174-1186
07/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/109985
PMID: 26199372
Abstract
•
Sexual reproduction often requires more energy and time than clonal reproduction. In marginal arctic conditions, species that can reproduce both sexually and clonally dominate. Plants with this capacity may thrive because they can alter reproduction depending on environmental conditions. Bistorta vivipara is a circumpolar herb that predominately reproduces clonally, but certain environmental conditions promote higher investment in flowers (and possible sexual reproduction). Despite largely reproducing clonally, the herb has high levels of genetic variation, and the processes underlying this paradoxical pattern of variation remain unclear. Here we identified environmental factors associated with sexual investment and examined whether sexual reproduction is associated with higher levels of genetic variation.•
We sampled 20 populations of B. vivipara across the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. In each population, we measured reproductive traits, environmental variables, and collected samples for genetic analyses. These samples permitted hypotheses to be tested regarding sexual investment and ecological and genetic correlates.•
Increased soil nitrogen and organic matter content and decreased elevation were positively associated with investment in flowers. Increased investment in flowers significantly correlated with more genotypes per population. Linkage disequilibrium was consistent with predominant clonality, but several populations showed higher genetic variation and lower differentiation than expected. There was no geographical genetic structure.•
In B. vivipara, sexual investment is positively associated with habitat quality. Bistorta vivipara predominantly reproduces clonally, but occasional outcrossing, efficient clonal reproduction, and dispersal by bulbils can explain the considerable genetic variation and weak genetic structure in B. vivipara.
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Details
- Title
- Environmental and genetic correlates of allocation to sexual reproduction in the circumpolar plant Bistorta vivipara
- Creators
- John W Bills - School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236, USAEric H Roalson - School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236, USAJeremiah W Busch - School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236, USAPernille B Eidesen - The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
- Publication Details
- American journal of botany, Vol.102(7), pp.1174-1186
- Academic Unit
- Biological Sciences, School of
- Publisher
- United States
- Identifiers
- 99900547052101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article