Age and size at maturity in mountain and lowland populations of the expanding moss Pogonatum dentatum

The moss Pogonatum dentatum has expanded its distribution in Fennoscandia from mountainous areas into the lowlands. This recent expansion appears to be associated with changes in important life-history parameters in female shoots. We examined shoot age and size at first production of sex organs and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant ecology 2005-01, Vol.179 (2), p.207-216
Main Authors: Hassel, K, Pedersen, B, Soderstrom, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age structure
branching
Bryophytes
Ecological life histories
Female animals
Females
gametophytes
Life history
Lowlands
Male animals
Mosses
mosses and liverworts
Mountain regions
Mountains
phytogeography
plant age
Plant ecology
plant growth
Plant reproduction
Pogonatum dentatum
Polytrichaceae
Sexual reproduction
shoots
Spores
Sporophytes
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The moss Pogonatum dentatum has expanded its distribution in Fennoscandia from mountainous areas into the lowlands. This recent expansion appears to be associated with changes in important life-history parameters in female shoots. We examined shoot age and size at first production of sex organs and mature spores in P. dentatum to investigate this phenomenon. Female shoots produced mature spores for the first time in the lowlands in their second year but in their third year in the mountains. However, sex organs were produced by second year plants in both areas. There was no size difference between the mountain and lowland female shoots at the time of spore production. Among mountain females reproducing for the first time, 41% of the shoots branched, making them potentially 'iteroparous'. Branching was not observed among lowland females. Male shoots showed no difference in production of sex organs, and were produced by second year shoots in both areas. Female shoots in the lowlands have earlier spore production and exhibit 'semelparous' behaviour by not producing branches. This suggests that the lowland phenotypes of P. dentatum are more 'invasive' than the mountain phenotypes. Earlier studies showing high rates of diaspore establishment in lowland areas also support this observation.
ISSN:1385-0237
1573-5052
DOI:10.1007/s11258-005-8065-8