Life-History Analysis of a Tropical Bryophyte

[9974086]麦克莱奇许多植物的种群中，一种性别的数量多于另一种。缺乏或缺少一种性别将限制或阻止有性生殖，使种群更容易受到环境变化的影响，并有灭绝的危险。本研究利用不同种群中性别频率不同的植物，评估了个体在有性繁殖、无性繁殖和生长方面的差异；(2)确定这些差异如何影响人口内部和人口之间的性别频率；(3)开始监测性别频率的长期实地研究；(4)建立数学模型来解释和预测自然模式。结合DNA指纹、田间和温室实验以及建模分析来实现这些目标。尽管许多物种同时具有无性繁殖和有性繁殖的特征，但很少有研究能够区分它们在整个生命周期内对种群动态的影响和生长的影响。本项目利用一个大型但研究不足的植物群（苔藓植物）的代表来解决这些影响及其含义。因此，这项研究将有助于保护这些植物和其他能够无性繁殖和有性繁殖的物种，同时为年轻研究人员提供各种重要和广泛有用的研究方法的培训。

9974086McLetchieMany plants occur in populations where one sex outnumbers the other. Scarcity or absence of one sex will limit or prevent sexual reproduction, making populations more vulnerable to environmental change, and risking extinction. Using a plant having gender frequencies that differ across populations, this research (1) assesses differences among individuals in sexual reproduction, clonal reproduction, and growth; (2) determines how these differences affect gender frequencies within and among populations; (3) begins a long-term field study monitoring gender frequencies; and (4) develops mathematical models to explain and predict natural patterns. A combination of DNA fingerprinting, field and greenhouse experiments, and modeling analysis are used to achieve these goals.Though many species feature both clonal and sexual reproduction, few studies have been able to distinguish their effects and those of growth on population dynamics over an entire life cycle. This project addresses these effects and their implications using a representative of a large but understudied group of plants (bryophytes). Thus, this research will contribute to the conservation of these plants and of other species capable of reproducing both clonally and sexually, while providing training to young researchers in a diversity of important and broadly useful research methods.