Inbreeding Depression in Picea rubens Core, Marginal, and Edge Populations of the Eastern United States

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to the eastern United States and Canada. Red spruce populations have been fragmented, creating small isolated populations throughout the southeastern U.S., leading to inbreeding and susceptibility to the effects of inbreeding depression. This study will look at inbreeding depression in relation to population size and inbreeding history in 340 families of red spruce trees from core, marginal, and edge populations throughout the eastern United States. Four measures of fitness will be used to calculate seedling relative fitness for the 340 families, including: seed mass, germination proportion, survivorship, and growth rate. Exome sequencing will be done for each of the 340 families that will be used to compare heterozygosity and inbreeding history among individuals and sites. Relating relative fitness to inbreeding history and population size will give insights to inbreeding depression overall, and the potential impacts on the future of red spruce conservation efforts.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

srkeller@uvm.edu

Faculty/Staff Collaborators

Ethan Thibault, Sonia DeYoung, Thibaut Capblancq

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Environmental Sciences

Primary Research Category

Biological Sciences

Abstract only.

Share

COinS
 

Inbreeding Depression in Picea rubens Core, Marginal, and Edge Populations of the Eastern United States

Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to the eastern United States and Canada. Red spruce populations have been fragmented, creating small isolated populations throughout the southeastern U.S., leading to inbreeding and susceptibility to the effects of inbreeding depression. This study will look at inbreeding depression in relation to population size and inbreeding history in 340 families of red spruce trees from core, marginal, and edge populations throughout the eastern United States. Four measures of fitness will be used to calculate seedling relative fitness for the 340 families, including: seed mass, germination proportion, survivorship, and growth rate. Exome sequencing will be done for each of the 340 families that will be used to compare heterozygosity and inbreeding history among individuals and sites. Relating relative fitness to inbreeding history and population size will give insights to inbreeding depression overall, and the potential impacts on the future of red spruce conservation efforts.