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AOBPreview published online on November 16, 2004
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mci025
© 2004 by Annals of Botany Company
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Received March 15, 2004
Revised August 18, 2004
Accepted September 14, 2004

Article

Fine-scale Clonal Structure and Diversity within Patches of a Clone-forming Dioecious Shrub, Ilex leucoclada (Aquifoliaceae)

TAKESHI TORIMARU 1 and NOBUHIRO TOMARU 1*

1 Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Physiology, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
NOBUHIRO TOMARU, E-mail: tomaru{at}agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp


  Abstract

• Background and Aims The mode of reproduction (sexual vs. asexual) is likely to have important effects on genetic variation and its spatial distribution within plant populations. An investigation was undertaken of fine-scale clonal structure and diversity within patches of Ilex leucoclada (a clone-forming dioecious shrub).

• Methods Six patches were selected in a 1-ha plot previously established in an old-growth beech forest. Two of the selected patches were composed predominantly of stems with male flowers (male patch), and two contained stems with predominantly female flowers (female patch). The remaining two patches contained stems with male flowers and stems with female flowers in more or less equal proportions (mixed patch). Different genets were distinguished using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.

• Key Results One hundred and fifty-six genets with different RAPD phenotypes were identified among 1928 stems from the six patches. Among the six patches, the male patches had the lowest clonal diversity, and the mixed patches had the highest. Distribution maps of the genets showed that they extended downhill, reflecting natural layering that occurred when stems were pressed to the ground by heavy snow. In every patch, there were a few large genets with many stems and many small genets with a few stems.

• Conclusion The differences in clonal diversity among patches may be due to differences in seedling recruitment frequencies. The skewed distribution of genet size (defined as the number of stems per genet) within patches may be due to differences in the timing of germination, or age (with early-establishing genets having clear advantages for acquiring resources) and/or intraspecific competition.

Keywords: Ilex leucoclada, dioecy, patch, genet, ramet, RAPD, clonal structure, clonal diversity, layering, clonal growth, seedling recruitment.
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