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Factors influencing reproductive success in the clonal moss, Hylocomium splendens

Rydgren, K ; Cronberg, Nils LU orcid and Økland, R (2006) In Oecologia 147(3). p.445-454
Abstract
Female reproductive success in the unisexual

perennial clonal moss Hylocomium splendens was

examined by recording, if the segment was reproductive

[produced sporophyte(s)] or not, together with several

distance-to-male and male density variables, and segment

size. This was done for every female segment in a

population over a 5 year study period. A high fraction

of the population could be sexed because we monitored

the population in situ for 5 years, and thereafter harvested

the population for electrophoretic analysis from

which the clonal identity and expressed sex could be

deduced. Fertilization distances in H. splendens were

short,... (More)
Female reproductive success in the unisexual

perennial clonal moss Hylocomium splendens was

examined by recording, if the segment was reproductive

[produced sporophyte(s)] or not, together with several

distance-to-male and male density variables, and segment

size. This was done for every female segment in a

population over a 5 year study period. A high fraction

of the population could be sexed because we monitored

the population in situ for 5 years, and thereafter harvested

the population for electrophoretic analysis from

which the clonal identity and expressed sex could be

deduced. Fertilization distances in H. splendens were

short, indicated by the fact that as many as 85% of the

female segments with sporophytes were situated within a

distance of 5.0 cm from the nearest male. The longest

distance measured between a sporophytic female and the

closest male was 11.6 cm. However, analysed within a

generalized linear modelling (GLM) framework, the

year was the best single predictor for the presence of H.

splendens sporophyte although female-segment size and

distance to the closest situated male were also strongly

significant. The two latter factors explained larger fractions

of variation in sporophyte presence in a GLM

model with three predictors than in single-predictor

models. This is because (i) the large variation in sporophyte

production among years partly obscures the

strong general increase in sporophyte production with

increasing female-segment size and vitality, and (ii) the

between-year variation and the size obscure the effect of

the distance to the most proximate male. To our

knowledge, this study is the first to incorporate into one

model the relative importance of several factors for

bryophyte reproductive success. Our results demonstrate

the value of multiple-predictor approaches in studies of

reproductive success. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Oecologia
volume
147
issue
3
pages
445 - 454
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000235706200007
  • pmid:16328549
  • scopus:33644582902
ISSN
1432-1939
DOI
10.1007/s00442-005-0290-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
65c7ee04-3711-4b76-9ea4-773df5832d55 (old id 162659)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:27:31
date last changed
2022-01-27 05:21:04
@article{65c7ee04-3711-4b76-9ea4-773df5832d55,
  abstract     = {{Female reproductive success in the unisexual<br/><br>
perennial clonal moss Hylocomium splendens was<br/><br>
examined by recording, if the segment was reproductive<br/><br>
[produced sporophyte(s)] or not, together with several<br/><br>
distance-to-male and male density variables, and segment<br/><br>
size. This was done for every female segment in a<br/><br>
population over a 5 year study period. A high fraction<br/><br>
of the population could be sexed because we monitored<br/><br>
the population in situ for 5 years, and thereafter harvested<br/><br>
the population for electrophoretic analysis from<br/><br>
which the clonal identity and expressed sex could be<br/><br>
deduced. Fertilization distances in H. splendens were<br/><br>
short, indicated by the fact that as many as 85% of the<br/><br>
female segments with sporophytes were situated within a<br/><br>
distance of 5.0 cm from the nearest male. The longest<br/><br>
distance measured between a sporophytic female and the<br/><br>
closest male was 11.6 cm. However, analysed within a<br/><br>
generalized linear modelling (GLM) framework, the<br/><br>
year was the best single predictor for the presence of H.<br/><br>
splendens sporophyte although female-segment size and<br/><br>
distance to the closest situated male were also strongly<br/><br>
significant. The two latter factors explained larger fractions<br/><br>
of variation in sporophyte presence in a GLM<br/><br>
model with three predictors than in single-predictor<br/><br>
models. This is because (i) the large variation in sporophyte<br/><br>
production among years partly obscures the<br/><br>
strong general increase in sporophyte production with<br/><br>
increasing female-segment size and vitality, and (ii) the<br/><br>
between-year variation and the size obscure the effect of<br/><br>
the distance to the most proximate male. To our<br/><br>
knowledge, this study is the first to incorporate into one<br/><br>
model the relative importance of several factors for<br/><br>
bryophyte reproductive success. Our results demonstrate<br/><br>
the value of multiple-predictor approaches in studies of<br/><br>
reproductive success.}},
  author       = {{Rydgren, K and Cronberg, Nils and Økland, R}},
  issn         = {{1432-1939}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{445--454}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Oecologia}},
  title        = {{Factors influencing reproductive success in the clonal moss, Hylocomium splendens}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0290-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00442-005-0290-2}},
  volume       = {{147}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}