University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Winter 1983 VARIATION, ADAPTATION AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY IN RUPPIA MARITIMA L POPULATIONS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE TIDAL MARSHES FRANK AD VID RICHARDSON University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation RICHARDSON, FRANK DAVID, "VARIATION, ADAPTATION AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY IN RUPPIA MARITIMA L POPULATIONS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE TIDAL MARSHES" (1983). Doctoral Dissertations. 1417. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/1417 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. 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These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 i 8411384 Richardson, Frank David VARIATION, ADAPTATION AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY IN RUPPIA MARITIMA L. POPULATIONS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE TIDAL MARSHES University of New Hampshire Ph.D. 1983 University Microfilms International300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 t I / PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages __jZ f 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print__ 3. Photographs with dark b ackground. 4. Illustrations are poor copy_______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy_ 6. 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POPULATIONS PROM NEW HAMPSHIRE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE TIDAL MARSHES BY Prank David Richardson B.A., Boston University, 1968 M.S., University of New Hampshire, 1976 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Botany December, 1983 This dissertation has been examined and approved. i£L£1 & Dissertation , A. Linn Bogle Associate Prof ess or (j6f Botany Robert Croker, Professor of Zoology rofessor Yun Science and Genetics Arthur C. Mathieson, Professor of Botany Date This Dissertation is dedicated to the memory of Professor Albion Peed Hodgdon who first introduced me to Euppia. His intellect, intuition and keen insights on the complexities of variation and adaptation in the botanical world were inspirational to me. His appreciation of art, science and love of life in all forms has been a pattern in my own development. If ever I had a mentor, 'Doc' Hodgdon is that man. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To the following, I express my sincere gratitude for their part in making it possible for me to complete this dissertation. Dr. A. Linn Bogle for his friendship, guidance, encour­ agement and Jobian patience throughout my tenure as a graduate student. Drs. Robert A. Croker, Garrett E. Crow, Yun-Tzu Kiang and Arthur C. Mathieson for their support and critical review of the manuscript. Dr. Wesley N. Tiffney for his friendship and hospital­ ity during my extended stay at the University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station, where my incentive to continue in this pursuit was reaffirmed. Drs. Lorus and Margery Milne for the use of their time-lapse photography equipment. Dr. Michael Wisniewski, Henry Van Cotter and Celia Smith for their generous assistance with data processing and statistical analysis. C. Thomas Philbrick for his help with pollen analysis and capturing -carpels underwater at the moment of pollen tube penetration. The University of New Hampshire Graduate School for awarding me the Summer Fellowship for Graduate Teaching Assistants and the Ph.D. Dissertation Fellowship. Trixie McLean for typing the manuscript. A very special thanks to my mother and father, Lorraine and Frank, who have always given their love and support and have had faith in me through difficult times. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......... iv LIST OE TABLES.................... •..................... vii LIST OF FIGURES................ viii ABSTRACT................................................. x PAGE INTRODUCTION.................... 1 I . MATERIALS AND METHODS.................. 8 Field Studies - Reciprocal Transplants............. 8 Greenhouse Experiment............................. 9 Seed Recovery from Sediments and Germination Studies............................... 11 Ecological Anatomy and Morphology................. 12 Investigation and Documentation of Surface and Underwater Pollination Mechanisms......................................... 14- Electrophoresis .......... 17 Chromosome Numbers................................ 17 II. RESULTS............................................ 20 Reciprocal Transplants........................... 20 Greenhouse Experiment............................. 24- Seed Recovery from Sediments and Germination Studies............................... 26 Ecological Anatomy and Morphology................. 29 Investigation and Documentation of Surface and Underwater Pollination Mechanisms............. 36 Electrophoresis................................... 46 Chromosome Numbers............................ .... 47 v III. DISCUSSION......................................... 4-9 IV. CONCLUSIONS........................................ 65 LITERATURE CITED.......................................... 69 TABLES........... 79 FIGURES.......................................... 89 vi LIST OP TABLES TaLle 1. Ruppia populations in New Hampshire coastal and estuarine marshes: study areas.................................... 79 Table 2. Comparative environmental parameters for Ruppia populations......................... 80 Table 3. Comparative growth and reproduction Ruppia populations.......................... 81 Table 4. Reciprocal transplants: combined test results for 6 sites....................... 82 Table 5. Summary data for greenhouse experiment......... 83 Table 6. Greenhouse experiment: reproductive effort and mean peduncle and podogyne lengths at 3 levels of water temperature, salinity and depth............................. 84 Table 7- Sedimentary and seed bank characteristics for 8 sites.................................... 85 Table 8. Mean pollen grain length and anther sac length for 7 Ruppia populations............... 86 Table 9* Approximate number of pollen grains per anther sac, per flower and per inflorescence for a coastal and an estuarine Ruppia population..................................... 87 LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1. Location map of study areas for Ruppia in New Hampshire coastal and estuarine tidal marshes.................... 89 Fig. 2. Schematic for donor and receptor reciprocal transplants................ ........ 91 Fig. 3. Mean peduncle