Dissertation Research: Impact of Landscape Management on Mating Patterns and Pollen Movement in Short Leaf Pine

基因运动是自然种群长期生存的关键过程。 对于温带树种，花粉运动是种群内和种群间基因运动的最重要载体。 森林的物理结构决定花粉移动的距离，同种树木的分布影响近交交配的数量。 该项目的主要目标是测试的假设，修改森林结构，通过应用替代森林管理技术（均匀年龄，不均匀年龄，没有管理处理），影响花粉运动在一个共同的森林树种，短叶松（Pinus echinata）。 使用等位酶作为遗传标记，有两个具体的目标。 首先，研究人员将使用最近开发的统计模型比较每种处理的花粉运动模式，该模型允许在景观尺度上进行假设检验。 其次，他们将比较三种处理中种群内的交配模式（自交和近交交配的比例以及花粉供体的数量）。 越来越多的森林被管理用于资源开采和生态系统保护。 了解森林改造如何影响基因运动的模式，将提供必要的洞察环境对种群水平的基因频率变化的影响。 这种见解有助于制定有效的物种保护战略。

Sork0073242 Gene movement is a critical process for the long-term survival of natural populations. For temperate tree species, pollen movement is the most important vector of gene movement within and between populations. The physical structure of the forest determines the distance of pollen movement and the distribution of conspecific trees affects the amount of inbred matings. The major goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that modification of forest structure, through the application of alternate forest management techniques (even-aged, uneven-aged, and no management treatments), influences pollen movement in a common forest tree species, short leaf pine (Pinus echinata). Using allozymes as genetic markers, two specific objectives are addressed. First, the investigators will compare patterns of pollen movement across each treatment using a recently developed statistical model that allows hypothesis testing on a landscape scale. Second, they will compare mating patterns within populations (proportion of self- and inbred matings and number of pollen donors) across the three treatments. Increasingly, forests are becoming managed for resource extraction and ecosystem conservation. Understanding how forest modification influences the patterns of gene movement will provide needed insight about environmental impact on population-level changes in gene frequencies. Such insight facilitates the development of effective strategies for species conservation.