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THE EFFECTS OF POPULATION SIZE AND PLANT DENSITY ON OUTCROSSING RATES IN LOCALLY ENDANGERED SALVIA PRATENSIS
Author(s) -
Van Treuren R.,
Bulsma R.,
Ouborg N. J.,
Van Delden W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1993.tb02138.x
Subject(s) - outcrossing , biology , selfing , population , natural population growth , perennial plant , botany , ecology , demography , pollen , sociology
Multilocus outcrossing rates were estimated in natural and experimental populations of Salvia pratensis , an entomophilous, gynodioecious, protandrous perennial. Male steriles were used to check the estimation procedure of outcrossing rates in hermaphrodites. Estimates of outcrossing rates in hermaphroditic plants ranged from 38.2% to 81.8% in natural populations and from 71.5% to 95.5% in experimental populations. No correlations were found between outcrossing rates and population size. However, outcrossing in hermaphrodites was promoted by high plant densities and low frequencies of male steriles. It is argued that effective management to preserve genetic variation in populations of S. pratensis should provide for the maintenance of high plant densities.