Ultimate Costs of Sporophyte Production in the Clonal Moss Hylocomium splendens

A richly sporophyte-producing population of the dioecious perennial clonal moss Hylocomium splendens was followed for five years in order to investigate the long-term costs of sporophyte production. Female mature segments were divided into two subpopulations: sporophyte producing and reference witho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology (Durham) 2002-06, Vol.83 (6), p.1573-1579
Main Authors: Rydgren, Knut, Økland, Rune H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
bootstrapping
boreal forest (southeastern Norway)
bryophyte
Bryophytes
clonal plant
Demecology
Ecological genetics
Ecology
elasticity
Forest ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hylocomium splendens
life-table response experiment
matrix models
models, transition matrix
Mosses
Plant ecology
Plant physiology and development
Plant reproduction
Plants
Plants and fungi
Population ecology
Population growth rate
Sexual reproduction
somatic costs
Sporophytes
Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification
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Summary:A richly sporophyte-producing population of the dioecious perennial clonal moss Hylocomium splendens was followed for five years in order to investigate the long-term costs of sporophyte production. Female mature segments were divided into two subpopulations: sporophyte producing and reference without sporophytes. Ultimate (long-term) population growth rates of λ = 1.091 and 1.258, respectively, were found for the two subpopulations by building separate deterministic transition matrix models. By bootstrapping each subpopulation, the difference in λ between subpopulations was found to be significant (P < 0.001). Life-table response experiment analysis attributed the lower population growth rate of the SP subpopulation to inferior ramification rates, lower survival, and inferior size development of mature segments. Considerable variation in H. splendens sporophyte production among years indicates large among-year variation in investment in sexual reproduction, probably related to resource status. Establishment of H. splendens from spores in natural habitats has never been observed. Nevertheless, sexual spores may play a role in establishment of H. splendens populations on new substrates.
ISSN:0012-9658
1939-9170
DOI:10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[1573:UCOSPI]2.0.CO;2