Bracken (Pteridium) in South Ecuador: Species, population genetics and -ecology, distribution

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Erwin Beck
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems ; Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563095253

Bracken fern (Pteridium spec.) occurs in the tropical Andes in two species complexes, the diploid P. arachnoideum and the similar allotetraploid P. caudatum. In our previous studies on the ecophysiology and control of bracken, the species were not differetiated. The proposed project aims at a deeper understanding of the biology of the two species on a molecular genetic basis. DNA microsatellite data from over 400 fern fronds from the study area in South Ecuador (30 km air line, 2000 m elevation gradient) indicate the co-existence of both species and point to the occurrence of hybrids. Bio-informatics methods will be used to investigate the following subjects: Assessment of morphological species identification, hybridization, the altitudinal distribution with reference to the degree of ploidy, the response of sexual and vegetative (clonal) reproduction/propagation to microclimate and fire, structure of the populations (heterozygosity) at the different altitudes, resistance to the fungus Microsphaerella pteridis. The following methods shall be used: For the assignment of samples to species or identification of hybrids: Bruvo distance, Bayesian inference, genetic structure analysis (Pritchard et al. 2000); for population structure (heterozygosity): Nei's unbiased gene diversity, neighbor joining clustering, multilocus genotypes, Shannon-index, evenness. These analyses require input of external expertise

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Privatdozent Dr. Alfons Weig