Assessing Local Adaptation in Four Native Grass Species
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Date
2013-11
Authors
Chambers, Kendra
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Prairies in the Pacific Northwest have been reduced to less than l% of their presettlement
distribution. Prairie restoration typically requires larger quantities of seeds
than can be wild-collected on site, thus site managers often contract with fanners to
produce seed. However, if selection pressures in fann fields are radically different than
that of sites to be restored, then it is possible that the restoration will fail. We
experimentally addressed these concerns with four species of grasses that are being used
for restoration in a 956-hectare county park in the S. Willamette Valley. We sought to
determine whether the distance between the site of seed production and the site of
restoration was within a seed transfer zone by using a reciprocal transplant experiment.
Seedlings were assessed for growth and mortality over fifteen-weeks from April-August
2013. We asked whether growing location and seed source affected growth and
mortality. We found little evidence for local adaptation. However, we found significant
growing location effects on growth and mortality between the two sites; on average
plants survived better at Mt. Pisgah, but grew larger at Albany. Adult plants already
growing at these sites for these species were also evaluated to determine whether
growing location had an effect on damage to the adults and their reproductive output.
Location did influence the amount of damage experienced by adults of four species. Festuca roemeri had less damage at Mt. Pisgah.
Description
33 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Environmental Studies and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Science, Winter 2014.
Keywords
Environmental studies, Local adaptation, Ecological restoration, Willamette Valley, Restoration genetics, Native species, Grass, Seed sourcing