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
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.