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Abstract Detail



Reproductive Processes

Chang, Shu-Mei [1].

Inbreeding depression in the endangered fringed campions, Silene catesbaei.

Inbreeding depression poses one of the biggest challenges for declining populations resulted from anthropogenic or other reasons, such as habitat fragmentation and stochastic fluctuation in population size. This can be particularly severe for endangered species that is experiencing reduction in both the size and number of populations. To evaluate the population vigor and to potentially generate a management plan for an endangered species, it is critical to estimate the level of inbreeding depression that a population may experience when available mates are reduced and, hence, reproduction is forced to occur between related individuals. In this study, we investigated the level of inbreeding depression in the endangered fringed campions, Silene catesbaei, which has only 35 remaining populations distributed in GA and northern FL. We carried out hand-pollination treatments to generate progeny from self-pollination, intra-population outcrossing, and inter-population outcrossing and compared their performances in a common garden. We measured seed number, average seed weight, germination rate, seedling performance, flower production, and above and below ground biomass. Overall, we found significant inbreeding depression across all populations, though populations appeared to have differentiated significantly in several traits we measured. By contrasting different pollination treatments, we make inferences regarding the genetic causes for fitness reduction in the inbred progeny. Results here can contribute to the conservation plans for this endangered species.


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1 - University Of Georgia, Plant Biology Department, 2502 Plant Sciences Bldg, Athens, GA, 30602, United States

Keywords:
inbreeding depression
Silene catesbaei
Endangered Species
reproductive ecology.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 16, Reproductive Processes I
Location: 111/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: 16003
Abstract ID:478
Candidate for Awards:None


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