Spatial pattern of sex expression in silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.): Morisita's index and spatial autocorrelation

The spatial patterns of sex for 490 silver maple trees in one natural area in Michigan were examined using Morisita's index and spatial autocorrelation techniques. Morisita's index showed that trees of similar size as well as trees of each sex were significantly clumped. Size and sex were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American naturalist 1983-10, Vol.122 (4), p.489-508
Main Authors: Sakai, Ann K., Oden, Neal L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acer saccharinum
Autocorrelation
Bisexuality
Coefficients
Ecological genetics
Mating behavior
Null hypothesis
Plants
Sex ratio
Silver
Trees
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Summary:The spatial patterns of sex for 490 silver maple trees in one natural area in Michigan were examined using Morisita's index and spatial autocorrelation techniques. Morisita's index showed that trees of similar size as well as trees of each sex were significantly clumped. Size and sex were spatially autocorrelated. Because trees of different sexes differ in size, both the spatial patterns of size within each sex and of sex within different size classes were analyzed. Trees of similar sizes were clumped, and size was autocorrelated within each sex, but sexes were distributed randomly within each size class. These data suggest patches of silver maple consisting of similar-sized trees with sexes scattered randomly within, in proportions unique to that size class. This spatial pattern results in females pollinated by males and bisexuals pollinated by themselves or each other, thus influencing mate selection and recombination among individuals within the population.
ISSN:0003-0147
1537-5323
DOI:10.1086/284151