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Inbreeding depression in perennial Lychnis viscaria (Caryophyllaceae): effects of population mating history and nutrient availability
Author(s) -
Mustajärvi Kaisa,
Siikamäki Pirkko,
Åkerberg Anne
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.3732/ajb.92.11.1853
Subject(s) - biology , inbreeding depression , caryophyllaceae , perennial plant , inbreeding , mating , population , mating system , nutrient , botany , ecology , demography , sociology
We studied inbreeding depression in a perennial plant, Lychnis viscaria , in three populations differing in their inbreeding history and population size by measuring several traits at two nutrient levels over the plant's life cycle. The observed levels of inbreeding depression (cumulative inbreeding depression, from −0.057 to 0.629) were high for a plant with a mixed mating system. As expected, the population with a low level of isozyme variation expressed the least inbreeding depression for seed germination. Highest inbreeding depression for germination was found in the largest and genetically most variable population. No clear differences between populations in expression of inbreeding depression in the later life stages were found. The population level inbreeding depression varied with the nutrient conditions and among populations and life stages, but we found no evidence that inbreeding depression increased with lower nutrient availability. These results emphasize the importance of measuring inbreeding depression under several environmental conditions and over life stages.