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Among-individual variation in pollen limitation and inbreeding depression in a mixed-mating shrub.


ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Variation in inbreeding depression (?) among individual plants is considered to play a central role in mating system evolution and population genetics. Moreover, such variation could be linked to individual susceptibility to pollen limitation (PL) because those individuals strongly affected by ? for seed production will require more outcross pollen for setting a given number of fruits or seeds. However, no study has tested explicitly for associations between PL and ? at the individual plant level. This study assesses the extent of among-individual variation in PL and ?, the consistency of ? across life stages, and the relationships between individual PL and ? in the mixed-mating shrub Myrtus communis.

Methods

Controlled hand-pollinations were performed in a natural M. communis population. Marked flowers were monitored until fruit production and a greenhouse experiment was conducted with the seeds produced.

Key results

Compared with selfing, outcross-pollination enhanced seed number per fruit, germination rate and seedling growth, but did not enhance fruit-set. Only seed number per fruit was pollen limited and, thus, cumulative pollen limitation depended more on pollen quality (outcross pollen) than on quantity. The effects of ? varied considerably across life stages and individual plants. Cumulative ? was high across individuals (mean ? = 0·65), although there were no positive correlations between ? values at different life stages. Interestingly, maternal plants showing stronger ? for seed production were more pollen limited, but they were also less affected by ? for seedling growth because of a seed size/number trade-off.

Conclusions

Results show a general inconsistency in ? across life stages and individuals, suggesting that different deleterious loci are acting at different stages. The association between ? and PL at the individual level corroborates the idea that pollen limitation may be 'genotype-dependent' regardless of other factors.

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Varo JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2990669 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Among-individual variation in pollen limitation and inbreeding depression in a mixed-mating shrub.

González-Varo Juan P JP   Traveset Anna A  

Annals of botany 20101005 6


<h4>Background and aims</h4>Variation in inbreeding depression (δ) among individual plants is considered to play a central role in mating system evolution and population genetics. Moreover, such variation could be linked to individual susceptibility to pollen limitation (PL) because those individuals strongly affected by δ for seed production will require more outcross pollen for setting a given number of fruits or seeds. However, no study has tested explicitly for associations between PL and δ  ...[more]

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