| Abstract Detail
Ecological Section Dolan, Rebecca W. [1], Schnabel, Andrew [2], Marr, Deborah [3]. Genetic variation in plants in restored prairie populations at Kankakee Sands, Indiana. Genetic variation in populations, both natural and restored, is crucial for response to short term environmental stresses and for long term evolutionary change. Kankakee Sands is a large-scale restoration being conducted by The Nature Conservancy in northwestern Indiana. Our goal was to examine levels of genetic variation in restored sites and to compare them to levels in remnant seed source, and other remnant populations, to see if seed collection and planting techniques are capturing representative genetic variation. To have the best chance of successful long term survival, restored populations should reflect the extant variation found in remnants. Isozyme analysis of 4 species (<i>Baptisia leucantha, Asclepias incarnata, Coreopsis tripteris</i>, and <i>Zizia aurea</i>) showed 60 of 70 (86%) alleles detected in remnants are present in restorations, in frequencies that reflect their occurrence in natural remnants. Although overall levels of genetic variation in remnants are not high, our results indicate that seed collection techniques used at Kankakee Sands are capturing a representative sample of the variation present in seed source remnant populations.
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1 - Butler University, Department of Biological Sciences, 4600 Sunset Ave, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46208, USA
2 - Indiana University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1835 Northside Blvd, South Bend, Indiana, 46615, USA
3 - Indiana University, Department of Biological Sciences, South Bend, Indiana, 46634, USA
Keywords:
genetic variation
prairie restoration.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 9-2
Location: Salon A - Gov Ballroom/Hilton
Date: Monday, August 15th, 2005
Time: 10:30 AM
Abstract ID:80 |
