evolution of the New Jersey Pine Plains

• Premise of the study: Fire in the New Jersey Pine Plains has selectively maintained a dwarf growth form of pitch pine (Pinus rigida), which is distinct from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens and has several other inherited adaptations that enable it to survive in an environment domin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 2013-04, Vol.100 (4), p.778-791
Main Authors: Ledig, F. Thomas, Hom, John L, Smouse, Peter E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptability
Adaptation, Biological
Biological Evolution
Botany
Coniferous forests
Ecosystem
ecotype
ecotypes
Eggs
Environmental conditions
evolution
Evolutionary biology
fecundity
fire
Fires
flammability
Forest & brush fires
New Jersey
Pinaceae
Pine barrens
Pine trees
Pinus
Pinus rigida
Plains
Population Biology
precocity
progeny
Provenance
pygmy forest
Reproduction
River ports
rivers
Seedlings
Seedlings - growth & development
serotiny
State forests
Trees
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Summary:• Premise of the study: Fire in the New Jersey Pine Plains has selectively maintained a dwarf growth form of pitch pine (Pinus rigida), which is distinct from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens and has several other inherited adaptations that enable it to survive in an environment dominated by fire.• Methods: Pitch pine progeny from two Pine Plains sites, the West and East Pine Plains, were grown in common garden environments with progeny from two Pine Barrens stands, Batsto and Great Egg Harbor River. The tests were replicated in five locations: in New Jersey, Connecticut, two sites in Massachusetts, and Korea. One of the tests was monitored for up to 36 yr.• Key results: Progeny of Pine Plains origin were, in general, shorter, more crooked, precocious, bore more cones, had a higher frequency of serotinous cones, and had a higher frequency of stem cones than did Pine Barrens progeny, wherever they were grown.• Conclusions: The Pine Plains is an ecotype that has evolved in response to disturbance. The several characters that distinguish it from the surrounding tall forest of the Pine Barrens are inherited. The dwarf stature and crooked form not only enable the ecotype to persist in an environment of frequent fires but also increase its flammability.
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.3732/ajb.1200581