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AOBPreview originally published online on July 31, 2008
Annals of Botany 2008 102(4):591-598; doi:10.1093/aob/mcn132
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Cyclone Tolerance in New World Arecaceae: Biogeographic Variation and Abiotic Natural Selection

M. Patrick Griffith1,*, Larry R. Noblick1, John L. Dowe1,2, Chad E. Husby1 and Michael A. Calonje1

1 Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
2 Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

* For correspondence. E-mail grif{at}montgomerybotanical.org

Received: 22 April 2008    Returned for revision: 6 June 2008    Accepted: 23 June 2008    Published electronically: 31 July 2008

Background and Aims: Consistent abiotic factors can affect directional selection; cyclones are abiotic phenomena with near-discrete geographic limits. The current study investigates selective pressure of cyclones on plants at the species level, testing for possible natural selection.

Methods: New World Arecaceae (palms) are used as a model system, as plants with monopodial, unbranched arborescent form are most directly affected by the selective pressure of wind load. Living specimens of known provenance grown at a common site were affected by the same cyclone. Data on percentage mortality were compiled and analysed in biogeographic and phylogenetic contexts.

Key Results: Palms of cyclone-prone provenance exhibited a much lower (one order of magnitude) range in cyclone tolerance, and significantly lower (P < 0·001) mean percentage mortality than collections from cyclone-free areas. Palms of cyclone-free provenance had much greater variation in tolerance, and significantly greater mean percentage mortality. A test for serial independence recovered no significant phylogenetic autocorrelation of percentage mortality.

Conclusions: Variation in cyclone tolerance in New World Arecaceae correlates with biogeography, and is not confounded with phylogeny. These results suggest natural selection of cyclone tolerance in cyclone-prone areas.

Key words: Abiotic selection, Arecaceae, biogeography, cyclone, hurricane, phylogenetic independence


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