Cryptic spatial aggregation of the cushion plant Azorella selago (Apiaceae) revealed by a multilocus molecular approach suggests frequent intraspecific facilitation under sub-Antarctic conditions

Premise of the study: In abiotically severe habitats, intraspecific aggregations can increase species' fitness by ameliorating stressful environmental factors. However, the difficulty of identifying individual plants in some growth forms makes the measurements of intraspecific aggregation, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 2011-05, Vol.98 (5), p.909-914
Main Authors: Cerfonteyn, Mia E., Le Roux, Peter C., Van Vuuren, Bettine Jansen, Born, Céline
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggregation
Antarctic Regions
Apiaceae
Apiaceae - genetics
Apiaceae - growth & development
Apiaceae - physiology
Azorella selago
Botany
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Ecological genetics
Ecology
Ecosystem
Flowers & plants
Genetics
Genotype
Genotype & phenotype
Genotypes
Habitats
intraspecific facilitation
Marion Island
microsatellite markers
Microsatellite Repeats
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Plant growth
Plant interaction
Plants
Population ecology
relatedness
Roux
Synecology
Terraces
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Summary:Premise of the study: In abiotically severe habitats, intraspecific aggregations can increase species' fitness by ameliorating stressful environmental factors. However, the difficulty of identifying individual plants in some growth forms makes the measurements of intraspecific aggregation, and therefore the assessment of intraspecific facilitation, problematic. In this study, we examined the genotype composition within cushions of Azorella selago, a sub-Antarctic cushion plant, to investigate the potential extent of intraspecific facilitation. Methods: The study was performed on Marion Island, South Africa. Two to eight samples were collected from 42 A. selago cushions, comprising eight different growth forms. Samples were genotyped using seven microsatellite markers. Key results: We showed that all cushion shapes, with the exception of small cushions, may be comprised of more than one genetically distinct individual. Conclusions: Under harsh sub-Antarctic conditions, intraspecific aggregation between A. selago individuals appears common and may be driven by the positive impacts of environmental amelioration.
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.3732/ajb.1000460