Among-individual variation in pollen limitation and inbreeding depression in a mixed-mating shrub.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Variation in inbreeding depression (δ) among individual plants is considered to play a central role in mating system evolution and population genetics. Moreover, such variation could be linked to individual susceptibility to pollen limitation (PL) because those individuals strongly affected by δ for seed production will require more outcross pollen for setting a given number of fruits or seeds. However, no study has tested explicitly for associations between PL and δ at the individual plant level. This study assesses the extent of among-individual variation in PL and δ, the consistency of δ across life stages, and the relationships between individual PL and δ in the mixed-mating shrub Myrtus communis.

Methods

Controlled hand-pollinations were performed in

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Varo JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2990669 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature