Investigating effects of habitat fragmentation and precipitation upon plant population structures and dynamics of three Therophytes

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Birgit Gemeinholzer
• Subject Area: Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi ; Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 234584484

We investigate if plants of similar life forms and survival strategies show similar patterns of genetic distribution in response to the same scales of fragmentation and precipitation. In a fragmented agroecosystem we examine if plant species with formerly connected populations now experience restriction of gene flow, and how this affects population structure and dynamics. To detect determinants which impact population dynamics, we associate spatial versus ecological attributes and compare them with the observed genetic and phenotypic variation among populations. In three therophytic ephemeral species with similar life cycles, reproduction systems and ecological constrains, we expect similar population genetic patterns under the same selection pressures. If we detect differences in population structures of these species, they most likely are indicative for the impact of different dispersal strategies (monocarpic versus heterocarpic). The amounts of population relatedness and potential co-ancestry will be estimated. By comparison of mutational differences (SNPs generated by Sequence based Genotyping (SBG)) between the different individuals of all populations and all species, outlier loci departing from neutral expectations will be detected to identify alleles which are potentially under selection.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants