Perennial Plant Inbreeding Depression: Models and Estimation Procedures

实际上，所有植物都会经历近亲交配衰退，亲缘关系个体的后代比非亲缘关系个体的后代适应性更低。这项研究调查了活了很多年的树木或草等物种的近亲繁殖衰退。目标是：1)在长寿多年生植物中建立基于遗传的近亲繁殖抑郁模型；以及2)开发在短时间跨度内而不是整个多年生生活史上测量近亲繁殖抑郁的方法。方法包括对多年生植物中特定的、有充分记录的、基于遗传的近亲繁殖衰退进行计算机和分析建模。统计方法将使用遗传变异模式和有关个体年龄的信息来推断近亲繁殖衰退的数量。这项研究提供了对多年生植物近亲繁殖衰退的遗传显性洞察。预计这项研究将为培育长寿植物提供指导，这些植物在混交林和果树育种中具有重要意义。在为多年生植物占主导地位的许多生态系统制定保护和自然资源管理计划时，更多地了解多年生植物的近亲繁殖衰退是一个重要的考虑因素。最后，这项研究为生活史和近亲繁殖抑郁之间的相互作用提供了基本的见解。这种相互作用对于理解植物育种系统的进化和多样性特别重要。

9974017MorganVirtually all plants experience inbreeding depression, with offspring of related individuals having lower fitness than offspring of unrelated individuals. This research investigates inbreeding depression in species, such as trees or grasses, that live for many years. Goals are to: 1) develop genetically-based models of inbreeding depression in long lived perennials; and 2) develop methods for measuring inbreeding depression over short time spans, rather than over the entire perennial life history. Methods include computer and analytic modeling of specific, well documented, genetically-based inbreeding depression in perennials. Statistical methods will use patterns of genetic variation and information about individual age to infer the amount of inbreeding depression.The research offers genetically explicit insight into inbreeding depression in perennials. It is anticipated that the research will provide guidance for breeding of long-lived plants important in, for instance, reforestry and fruit tree breeding. Greater understanding of inbreeding depression in perennials is an important consideration in developing conservation and natural resource management plans for the many ecosystems in which perennials predominate. Finally, the research provides basic insight into the interaction between life history and inbreeding depression. Such interactions are of particular importance in understanding the evolution and diversity of plant breeding systems.