The Influence of a Seedling Recruitment Strategy and a Clonal Architecture on a Spatial Genetic Structure of a Salvia brachyodon (Lamiaceae) Population.

Ivan Radosavljević,Zlatko Liber,Josip Križan,Oleg Antonić,Dario Hruševar,Zlatko Satovic,Doroteja Turković

doi:10.3390/plants9070828

Ivan Radosavljević, Zlatko Liber + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070828

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Abstract

By performing a high-resolution spatial-genetic analysis of a partially clonal Salvia brachyodon population, we elucidated its clonal architecture and seedling recruitment strategy. The sampling of the entire population was based on a 1 × 1 m grid and each sampled individual was genotyped. Population-genetic statistics were combined with geospatial analyses. On the population level, the presence of both sexual and clonal reproduction and repeated seedling recruitment as the prevailing strategy of new genets establishment were confirmed. On the patch level, a phalanx clonal architecture was detected. A significant negative correlation between patches’ sizes and genotypic richness was observed as young plants were not identified within existing patches of large genets but almost exclusively in surrounding areas. The erosion of the genetic variability of older patches is likely caused by the inter-genet competition and resulting selection or by a random die-off of individual genets accompanied by the absence of new seedlings establishment. This study contributes to our understanding of how clonal architecture and seedling recruitment strategies can shape the spatial-genetic structure of a partially clonal population and lays the foundation for the future research of the influence of the population’s clonal organization on its sexual reproduction.

Highlights

A combination of sexual and asexual reproduction can be found in many plant species [1], and it was estimated that ~80% of angiosperms reproduce by the most common type of asexual reproduction, i.e., vegetative propagation, referred to as clonal growth [2]
All probabilities of (1) obtaining a particular genotype under the assumption of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and by taking into account departures from HWE (Pgen and Pgen (FIS ), respectively) and (2) sampling two individuals sharing an multilocus genotypes (MLGs) derived from different sexual reproductive events under the assumption of HWE and by taking into account departures from HWE (Psex and Psex (FIS ), respectively), had values of
Such results confirm that all replicates of the same MLG are most likely part of the same genet and that each distinct MLG belongs to a distinct genet

Summary

Introduction

A combination of sexual and asexual reproduction can be found in many plant species [1], and it was estimated that ~80% of angiosperms reproduce by the most common type of asexual reproduction, i.e., vegetative propagation, referred to as clonal growth [2]. The spatial distribution of ramets (i.e., clonal architecture) defines the levels of clonal aggregation, and two main strategies can be recognized: phalanx and guerrilla [8,9]. On the other side of the spectrum are species that reproduce by a guerrilla strategy characterized by bulbils, runners, or vegetative propagules as a means of clonal reproduction [9]. Since the consequence of clonal growth is a spatial distribution of genetically identical individuals in relative proximity to parental plants, SGS is strongly affected by clonal architecture [11]

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