Life-history traits and population differentiation in a clonal plant: implications for establishment, persistence and weediness
(2008)- Abstract
- Clonality is wide-spread among plants, and clonal plants dominate many habitats and include many highly invasive
species. Clonal growth incurs both advantages and costs and clonal plants often have reduced sexual reproduction
compared to non-clonal plants which could be expected to lower genetic variation and hence evolutionary potential.
However, clonal plants have revealed similar levels of genetic variation as non clonal plants in the majority of species
studied.
This thesis includes studies of life-history traits such as resource sharing, storage, growth, seed germination and
seedling performance, as well as studies of the partitioning of genetic variation using leaflet shape... (More) - Clonality is wide-spread among plants, and clonal plants dominate many habitats and include many highly invasive
species. Clonal growth incurs both advantages and costs and clonal plants often have reduced sexual reproduction
compared to non-clonal plants which could be expected to lower genetic variation and hence evolutionary potential.
However, clonal plants have revealed similar levels of genetic variation as non clonal plants in the majority of species
studied.
This thesis includes studies of life-history traits such as resource sharing, storage, growth, seed germination and
seedling performance, as well as studies of the partitioning of genetic variation using leaflet shape analysis. The study
organism used; Aegopodium podagraria, is a clonal herb with vigorous vegetative reproduction by means of
underground rhizomes. In its natural distribution range it is a noxious garden weed and it has been reported to be invasive
in natural areas in many places where it has been introduced. I have compared weedy (garden) and natural (forest)
populations in northern, central and southern Sweden. Sampling was mainly performed by collecting rhizome pieces and
propagating them in the green house, but in some populations we were able to collect seeds as well. The aim has been to
investigate the relation between variation of life history traits in A. podagraria and the available genetic variation that
may be the bases for this variation. A further aim has been to understand what makes plants like A. podagraria such
persistent weeds, and how it is able to thrive in so many different habitats and climatic regions.
Aegopodium podagraria from forest populations were found to be more negatively affected by severing of
rhizomes than plants from garden populations indicating a higher dependence on sharing in forest clones. Furthermore, it
seemed that harsh climatic conditions in combination with heterogeneous light availability had caused a higher degree of
storage in plants from forests in North Sweden than plants from garden habitats in North Sweden as well as from both
types of habitats in South Sweden.
Sexual reproduction was found in the field, and in a common garden study a high percentage of seeds produced
seedlings that developed rhizomes and began to spread vegetatively during their first growing season. Sexual
reproduction in natural populations of A. podagraria is in agreement with the considerable variation within and between
populations revealed using multivariate leaflet shape analysis.
I conclude A. podagraria combines the advantages of clonal growth, resource sharing, longevity and vigorous
vegetative spread of genets, with enough sexual reproduction to maintain a genetic base for adaptation to new types of
habitats and different regions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1274249
- author
- Eneström, Johanna LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Prof. van Groenendael, Jan, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- organization
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- weediness, Clonal plant, resource sharing, resource storage, partitioning of genetic variation, seedling development, seed recruitment, Aegopodium podagraria
- pages
- 109 pages
- defense location
- Blå Hallen, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, Lund
- defense date
- 2009-01-16 10:00:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-7105-287-2
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Plant Ecology and Systematics (Closed 2011) (011004000)
- id
- 4233cfcf-2a6c-4f24-a56f-d4adcb8dea01 (old id 1274249)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 14:37:27
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:21:22
@phdthesis{4233cfcf-2a6c-4f24-a56f-d4adcb8dea01,
abstract = {{Clonality is wide-spread among plants, and clonal plants dominate many habitats and include many highly invasive<br/><br>
species. Clonal growth incurs both advantages and costs and clonal plants often have reduced sexual reproduction<br/><br>
compared to non-clonal plants which could be expected to lower genetic variation and hence evolutionary potential.<br/><br>
However, clonal plants have revealed similar levels of genetic variation as non clonal plants in the majority of species<br/><br>
studied.<br/><br>
This thesis includes studies of life-history traits such as resource sharing, storage, growth, seed germination and<br/><br>
seedling performance, as well as studies of the partitioning of genetic variation using leaflet shape analysis. The study<br/><br>
organism used; Aegopodium podagraria, is a clonal herb with vigorous vegetative reproduction by means of<br/><br>
underground rhizomes. In its natural distribution range it is a noxious garden weed and it has been reported to be invasive<br/><br>
in natural areas in many places where it has been introduced. I have compared weedy (garden) and natural (forest)<br/><br>
populations in northern, central and southern Sweden. Sampling was mainly performed by collecting rhizome pieces and<br/><br>
propagating them in the green house, but in some populations we were able to collect seeds as well. The aim has been to<br/><br>
investigate the relation between variation of life history traits in A. podagraria and the available genetic variation that<br/><br>
may be the bases for this variation. A further aim has been to understand what makes plants like A. podagraria such<br/><br>
persistent weeds, and how it is able to thrive in so many different habitats and climatic regions.<br/><br>
Aegopodium podagraria from forest populations were found to be more negatively affected by severing of<br/><br>
rhizomes than plants from garden populations indicating a higher dependence on sharing in forest clones. Furthermore, it<br/><br>
seemed that harsh climatic conditions in combination with heterogeneous light availability had caused a higher degree of<br/><br>
storage in plants from forests in North Sweden than plants from garden habitats in North Sweden as well as from both<br/><br>
types of habitats in South Sweden.<br/><br>
Sexual reproduction was found in the field, and in a common garden study a high percentage of seeds produced<br/><br>
seedlings that developed rhizomes and began to spread vegetatively during their first growing season. Sexual<br/><br>
reproduction in natural populations of A. podagraria is in agreement with the considerable variation within and between<br/><br>
populations revealed using multivariate leaflet shape analysis.<br/><br>
I conclude A. podagraria combines the advantages of clonal growth, resource sharing, longevity and vigorous<br/><br>
vegetative spread of genets, with enough sexual reproduction to maintain a genetic base for adaptation to new types of<br/><br>
habitats and different regions.}},
author = {{Eneström, Johanna}},
isbn = {{978-91-7105-287-2}},
keywords = {{weediness; Clonal plant; resource sharing; resource storage; partitioning of genetic variation; seedling development; seed
recruitment; Aegopodium podagraria}},
language = {{eng}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Life-history traits and population differentiation in a clonal plant: implications for establishment, persistence and weediness}},
year = {{2008}},
}