Population Genetic Structure and Plant Fitness of Natural and Ex Situ
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Population genetic structure and plant fitness of natural and ex situ populations in Silene chlorantha (W ILLD .) EHRH . and Silene otites (L.) WIBEL Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades des Doktors der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) eingereicht im Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie der Freien Universität Berlin vorgelegt von Daniel Lauterbach aus Brandenburg an der Havel 2012 Die Arbeit wurde im Zeitraum von Juni 2008 bis Februar 2012 an der Zentraleinrichtung Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin - Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin unter der Leitung von Herrn Prof. Dr. Thomas Borsch angefertigt. 1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Borsch 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Ingo Kowarik Disputation am 04.07.2012 Index Table of contents 1 General Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Effects of land-use changes on dry grasslands .................................................. 1 1.2 The study species: Silene chlorantha (WILLD .) EHRH . and Silene otites (L.) WIBEL 2 1.3 Population genetic structure and plant fitness ................................................... 7 1.4 Ex situ plant conservation .................................................................................. 10 1.5 Comments to the structure of the presented thesis .......................................... 12 2 Genetic population structure, fitness variation and the importance of population history in remnant populations of the endangered plant Silene chlorantha (Willd.) Ehrh. (Caryophyllaceae)............................................................................................. 14 2.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 14 2.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................ 16 2.4 Results ................................................................................................................. 23 2.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 27 2.6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 33 2.7 References ........................................................................................................... 33 3 Genetic variation and fitness of the endangered Silene chlorantha (W ILLD .) EHRH .: a comparison between a botanic garden ex situ population and its in situ source population................................................................................................................... 40 3.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 40 3.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 41 3.3 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................ 42 3.4 Results ................................................................................................................. 45 3.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 48 3.6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 50 3.7 References ........................................................................................................... 50 4 How to prevent genetic erosion? Effects of inbreeding and outbreeding in fragmented populations of the endangered Silene chlorantha (Caryophyllaceae) 56 4.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 56 4.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 57 4.3 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................ 59 4.4 Results ................................................................................................................. 63 4.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 67 4.6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 70 I Index 4.7 References ........................................................................................................... 70 5 Population genetics and fitness in fragmented populations of the dioecious and endangered Silene otites (Caryophyllaceae) ............................................................ 74 5.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 74 5.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 75 5.3 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................ 76 5.4 Results .................................................................................................................. 80 5.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................... 85 5.6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 89 5.7 References ........................................................................................................... 89 6 Rapid genetic differentiation between ex situ and their in situ source populations: an example of the endangered Silene otites (Caryophyllaceae) ............................. 96 6.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................ 96 6.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 97 6.3 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................ 99 6.4 Results ................................................................................................................ 104 6.5 Discussion ......................................................................................................... 108 6.6 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 112 6.7 References ......................................................................................................... 112 7 General Discussion and Outlook............................................................................. 120 7.1 References General Introduction and General Discussion ............................ 124 8 Summary................................................................................................................... 133 9 Zusammenfassung................................................................................................... 135 10 Appendix ................................................................................................................... 137 10.1 List of figures ..................................................................................................... 137 10.2 List of tables ....................................................................................................... 139 10.3 Curriculum vitae ................................................................................................ 141 10.4 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 142 II Chapter 1 - General Introduction 1 General Introduction 1.1 Effects of land-use changes on dry grasslands Dry- and semidry grasslands of the classes Festuco-Brometea and Sedo-Scleranthetea are among the most species-rich plant habitats in Central Europe (Ellenberg 1996; Poschlod et al. 1998). In contemporary landscapes such habitats are semi-natural, which evolved by livestock grazing over the past centuries. Especially plant species of dry grasslands suffer from land-use changes as abandonment or intensification, affecting their performance and frequency (Lindborg 2007; Dostalek & Frantik 2008). Changes in traditional land-use such as a decrease of mowing and grazing by sheep and goats, eutrophication as well as intensification or abandonment of species-rich grassland, led to fragmentation and loss of plant habitats especially in north-western Europe (WallisDeVries et al. 2002). Most dry grasslands become increasingly restricted to small and isolated patches (Lauterbach 2008; Eriksson et al. 2002; Lindborg & Eriksson 2004) as formerly species-rich dry grasslands are being converted into species-poor communities dominated by grasses (e.g. Bornkamm 2006; Dostalek & Frantik 2008; Partzsch 2011; Willems 1987). In case of eutrophication and abandonment less competitive habitat specialists adapted to extensive land-use are often replaced by more competitive species such as plants forming stolons and rhizomes as well as nitrophilous and ruderal plants (Saunders et al. 1991; Thompson 1994; Fischer & Stöcklin 1997; Fischer & Matthies 1998). Land-use often affects population structure as dispersal events such as grazing