ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 2629
Session = 12.10.2


SEX, COLONIZATION AND MIGRATION IN SILENE DIOICA METAPOPULATIONS


Barbara Giles, Umeå University, Sweden


In an archipelago in northern Sweden, rapid land uplift continuously creates new habitats for colonization. During ensuing successional processes plant species not belonging to climax communities are driven to extinction. Colonization and migration are thus critical for species persistence. The dioecious insect-pollinated Silene dioica occurs in middle successional stages in this area. I present results showing the consequences of gene flow for the genetic structure of this species. S. dioica is most strongly structured on a square meter scale, and observed metapopulation dynamics at higher levels of the system appear to be driven by what occurs at the smallest scale. I will also focus on the contributions of sex-dependent migration. These results have strong implications for the study of selective changes occurring in population systems experiencing turnover dynamics.


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