Collaborative Research: Genetic Divergence and Life History in a Plant Population

大多数动植物的自然种群都表现出 遗传变异性，即使许多因素降低遗传 一个物种的多样性。 植物和动物育种者，以及 作为保护生物学家， 多样性在理想的线路，因为这种多样性是 被认为可以减少由于近亲繁殖而灭绝的可能性 抑郁症、疾病、寄生虫和新的环境挑战。 了解遗传多样性是如何产生和维持的 因此，自然种群的数量是保护的一个主要目标 生物学家 该项目将重点关注空间 异质性可以带来遗传多样性， 坡度引起的微地理变异 无论是在地面还是地面，雪融化、水蒸发或海拔升高都可能迫使 在同一地点的植物在不同的时间开花， 导致对早花和晚花选择压力不同 个体 种群遗传学理论表明， 条件将导致维持高遗传 多样性 在这个研究系统中， 在阿尔卑斯山上实施了可变的生长和开花时间表， 植物群落 时间和空间成分是如何 这种异质性维持了高山植物内的遗传变异， 毛茛的种群数量将被确定。 这项研究将 深入了解保持遗传多样性的因素， 经济上有用的植物和动物品种，以及 受威胁的人口。

Most natural populations of plants and animals display great genetic variability, even though many factors reduce genetic diversity within a species. Plant and animal breeders, as well as conservation biologists, often attempt to maintain genetic diversity within desirable lines, since such diversity is thought to reduce the possibility of extinction due to inbreeding depression, disease, parasites, and new environmental challenges. Understanding how genetic diversity is engendered and maintained in natural populations is therefore a major goal of conservation biologists. This project will focus on the ways in which spatial heterogeneity can bring about genetic diversification within a single plant population Microgeographic variation due to slope aspect, snow melt, water evaporation, or elevation can force plants within a single site to flower at different times and can lead to different selective pressures on early and late flowering individuals. Population genetics theory suggest that these conditions will lead to the maintenance of high genetic diversity. In this study system, variation in snow melt schedule imposes variable growth and flowering schedules on the alpine plant community. How the temporal and spatial components of this heterogeneity maintain genetic variation within an alpine population of Ranunculus will be determined. This research will produce insight into factors that preserve genetic diversity in economically useful plant and animal breeds, as well as in threatened populations.