Publications by authors named "P Matter"
Mountain ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change. Characterizing intraspecific variation of alpine plants along elevational gradients is crucial for estimating their vulnerability to predicted changes. Environmental conditions vary with elevation, which might influence plastic responses and affect selection pressures that lead to local adaptation.
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- Genetic connectivity between plant populations is crucial for gene exchange, which supports their survival in changing environments.
- Historical gene flow was found to be high in two alpine herbs, Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum, suggesting strong genetic ties across different meadows.
- Contemporary pollen flow is significant, especially in T. montanum, and is less affected by differences in flowering times compared to R. bulbosus, which may help both species adapt to rapid climate changes.
Article Synopsis
- The study developed microsatellite markers in Trifolium montanum to examine pollen dispersal patterns using both indirect and direct paternity analyses.
- Screening of existing markers yielded four usable ones, while seven new markers were created, all showing high variability in populations sampled.
- The findings support the effectiveness of these markers as reliable tools for population genetics and parentage research in this grassland species.
Premise Of The Study: Pollen dispersal is a key biological process enabling plant populations to maintain genetic connectivity. Direct estimates of pollen dispersal using paternity assignment or correlated paternity estimates require highly variable genetic markers, of which microsatellites are the markers of choice. •
Methods And Results: Eight species-specific microsatellites have been developed for Ranunculus bulbosus, combining classical enrichment methods with 454 sequencing.
Pollen flow is a key biological process that connects plant populations, preventing genetic impoverishment and inbreeding. Pollen-mediated long-distance dispersal (LDD) events are especially important for plant species in increasingly fragmented landscapes. Patterns of pollen dispersal were directly estimated and dispersal kernels modelled in an experimental population of Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum to determine the potential for LDD.
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