MRPG: Patterns of Phenotypic and Genetic Variation in Heliconia bihai

梅伦德斯·阿克曼9904029。比海Heliconia bihai植物在苞片颜色上呈现出非同寻常的变化。在加勒比海的圣卢西亚岛和圣文森特岛，一些人有一种颜色，而另一些人可能有多种颜色。梅伦德斯·阿克曼博士将描述苞片颜色的分布模式，作为描述调节这种变化的因素的第一步。向日葵的苞片可能有助于向蜂鸟宣传花蜜的质量，从而确保花的授粉和随后的种子生产。有些颜色可能比其他颜色更丰富，因为它们更能吸引传粉者并产生更多的种子。另一方面，中间苞片颜色可能是自然杂交的产物。梅伦德斯·阿克曼博士将开始用详细的传粉者观察、种子生产记录和自然种群的基因数据来验证这些想法。了解导致或维持海葵苞片颜色变化的因素，将有助于预测这种变化在自然种群中的稳定性。由于其彩色苞片，向日葵具有很高的商业价值。这项研究的结果将在设计以保护该物种变异为目标的管理计划中具有潜在的用途。

MELENDEZ ACKERMAN 9904029.The plant Heliconia bihai presents an extraordinary variation in bract color. In the Caribbean islands of St. Lucia and St. Vincent, some populations present one color form while others may present more. As a first step toward characterizing the factors that regulate such variation, Dr. Melendez Ackerman will describe the distribution patterns of bract color. Heliconia bracts presumably help advertise nectar quality to hummingbirds, thereby ensuring flower pollination and subsequently seed production. Some colors could be more abundant than others because they are better at attracting pollinators and producing more seeds. On the other hand, intermediate bract colors may be the product of natural hybridization. Dr. Melendez Ackerman will begin to test these ideas with detailed pollinator observations, records of seed production and genetic data from natural populations.Understanding the factors that lead to or maintain bract color variation in H. bihai will allow predictions about the stability of such variability in natural populations. Because of their colorful bracts, Heliconia are of high commercial value. The results of this research will be of potential use in the design of management plans that target the preservation of variation in this species.