PRF: Spatial Genetic Structure and Genetic Demography of Delphinium nelsonii

由于受限的基因流动和空间异质性选择，大多数植物种群将在空间上建立遗传结构。然而，种群内遗传结构的细微规模原因和后果仍然不清楚。这项拟议的研究旨在确定山地草本植物Delphina nelsonii种群的精细空间遗传结构模式，并了解这种模式是如何产生的。将对两个种群进行分层抽样，以量化大范围空间尺度的遗传结构。在每个种群中，来自生命周期几个阶段的个体将使用同工酶电泳法进行基因分型。将使用三种方法描述成虫种群结构，并将其与根据经验测量的花粉和种子传播距离估计的模式进行比较。不同生活史阶段的遗传多样性和种群结构的偏差将被用来确定种群细分的时机和可能的机制。将使用两种技术来估计杂合性和近亲繁殖对后代存活的影响。在空间接近和遗传相似的不同组合的个体之间进行受控杂交。在产生的后代中，将测量三个适合度指标，即结实率、种子质量和种子重量。用方差分析的方法来分解遗传相似性与空间贴近度之间的关系异交距离的后果。

Most plant populations will be structured genetically in space as a result of restricted gene flow and spatially heterogeneous selection. However, the fine scale causes and consequences of within population genetic structure remain obscure. The proposed research is aimed at determining the pattern of fine scale spatial genetic structure in populations of the montane herb Delphinium nelsonii and understanding how the pattern is produced. Two populations will be sampled hierarchically to quantify genetic structure at wide range of spatial scales. In each population, individuals from several stages in the life cycle will be genotyped using isozyme electrophoresis. Adult population structure will be characterized using three methods and compared to patterns estimated from empirical measures of pollen and seed dispersal distances. Deviations in genetic diversity and population structure among different life history stages will be used to identify the timing and possible mechanisms of population subdivision. Two techniques will be used to estimate the effects of heterozygosity and inbreeding on offspring survival. Controlled crosses between individuals of different combinations of spatial proximity and genetic similarity will be made. Three measures of fitness, seed set, seed mass, and seed weight will be measured in the resulting progeny. Analysis of variance will be used to decompose the relationship of genetic similarity at electrophoretic marker loci and spatial proximity on the fitness consequences of outcrossing distance.