Plant Ecology

, Volume 201, Issue 2, pp 699–707 | Cite as

Disturbance by mowing affects clonal diversity: the genetic structure of Ranunculus ficaria (Ranunculuaceae) in meadows and forests

Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

To study the impact of disturbance by mowing on clonal variation, we compared the genetic structure of Ranunculus ficaria (Ranunculaceae) in meadows and forests located in southeast Germany. We applied random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis to investigate the clonal and genetic diversity and analysed a total of 117 samples from three study plots in each habitat type. Polymerase chain reaction with six primers resulted in 57 fragments. Clonal diversity differed clearly between the two analysed habitat types and was significantly higher in the study plots from meadows than in those from forests. The mean percentage of distinguishable genotypes (PD) was 0.80 in meadow plots and 0.36 in forest plots, and the detected genets were smaller in meadow plots than in forest plots. Mean genetic diversity measured as percentage of polymorphic bands, Shannon’s information index and Nei’s gene diversity was also higher in meadows (44.4, 0.22 and 0.14) than in forests (25.1, 0.09 and 0.05). The higher level of clonal diversity in meadow plots is most likely due to the effects of disturbance by mowing, which increases the dispersal of bulbils and promotes the establishment of new plants in meadows compared to forests.

Keywords

Genetic and genotypic variation RAPD Molecular marker Mowing Spatial genetic structure Dispersal 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Peter Poschlod for his generous support and Petra Schitko for her assistance in the lab. Special thanks go also to Laura Klingseisen, Susanne Gewolf, Jutta Heinrich, Daniela Listl, Wiebke Baum and Martin Leipold. Finally, the authors would like to thank Katrin Bylebyl for very helpful comments on the manuscript.

References

  1. Auge H, Neuffer B, Erlinghagen F, Grupe R, Brandl R (2001) Demographic and random amplified polymorphic DNA analyses reveal high levels of genetic diversity in a clonal violet. Mol Ecol 10:1811–1819. doi: 10.1046/j.0962-1083.2001.01311.x PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Billeter R, Schneller J, Diemer M (2002) Genetic diversity of Carex davalliana and Succisa pratensis in mown and abandoned fen meadows. Bull Geobotanical Inst ETH 68:45–54Google Scholar
  3. Bockelmann A-C, Reusch TBH, Bijlsma R, Bakker JP (2003) Habitat differentiation vs. isolation-by-distance: the genetic population structure of Elymus athericus in European salt marshes. Mol Ecol 12:505–515. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.01706.x PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Bonn S, Poschlod P (1998) Ausbreitungsbiologie der Pflanzen Mitteleuropas. Grundlagen und kulturhistorische Aspekte. Quelle & Meyer, WiesbadenGoogle Scholar
  5. Brys R, Jacquemyn H, Endels P, de Blust G, Hermy M (2004) The effects of grassland management on plant performance and demography in the perennial herb Primula veris. J Appl Ecol 41:1080–1091. doi: 10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00981.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Bühler C, Schmid B (2001) The influence of management regime and altitude on the population structure of Succisa pratensis: implications for vegetation monitoring. J Appl Ecol 38:689–698. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00640.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Ehrlén J, Syrjänen K, Leimuu R, Garcia MB, Lehtilä K (2005) Land use and population growth of Primula veris: an experimental demographic approach. J Appl Ecol 42:317–326. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01015.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Ellstrand NC, Roose ML (1987) Patterns of genotypic diversity in clonal plant species. Am J Bot 74:123–131. doi: 10.2307/2444338 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Eriksson O (1993) Dynamics of genets in clonal plants. Trends Ecol Evol 8:313–316. doi: 10.1016/0169-5347(93)90237-J CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Gabrielsen TM, Brochmann C (1998) Sex after all: high levels of diversity detected in the arctic clonal plant Saxifraga cernua using RAPD markers. Mol Ecol 7:1701–1708. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.1998.00503.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Garnier LKM, Durand J, Dajoz I (2002) Limited seed dispersal and microspatial population structure of an agamospermous grass of West African savannahs, Hyparrhenia diplandra (Poaceae). Am J Bot 89:1785–1791. doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.11.1785 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Gray AJ (1987) Genetic change during succession in plants. In: Gray AJ, McCauley DE, Edwards PJ (eds) Colonization, succession and stability. Blackwell Scientific Publications, OxfordGoogle Scholar
  13. Hamrick JL, Godt MJW (1996) Effects of life history traits on genetic diversity in plant species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 351:1291–1298. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1996.0112 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Hangelbroek HH, Ouborg NJ, Santamaría L, Schwenk K (2002) Clonal diversity and structure within a population of the pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus foraged by Bewick’s swans. Mol Ecol 11:2137–2150. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294X.2002.01598.x PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Hegland SJ, van Leeuwen M, Oostermeijer JGB (2001) Population structure of Salvia pratensis in relation to vegetation and management of Dutch dry floodplain grasslands. J Appl Ecol 38:1277–1289. doi: 10.1046/j.0021-8901.2001.00679.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Hsao JY, Lee M (1999) Genetic diversity and microgeographic differentiation of yushan cane (Yushania niitakayamensis; Poaceae) in Taiwan. Mol Ecol 8:263–270. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294X.1999.00563.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Kleijn D, Steinger T (2002) Contrasting effects of grazing and hay cutting on the spatial and genetic structure of Veratrum album, an unpalatable, long-lived, clonal plant species. J Ecol 90:360–370. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2001.00676.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Kölliker R, Stadelmann FJ, Reidy B, Nösberger J (1998) Fertilization and defoliation frequency affect genetic diversity of Festuca pratensis Huds. in permanent grasslands. Mol Ecol 7:1557–1567. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.1998.00486.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Kotanen PM, Bergelson J (2000) Effects of simulated grazing on different genotypes of Bouteloua gracilis: how important is morphology? Oecologia 123:66–74. doi: 10.1007/s004420050990 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Kreher SA, Fore S, Collins BS (2000) Genetic variation within and among patches of the clonal species, Vaccinium stamineum L. Mol Ecol 9:1247–1252. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.01002.x PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Lennartsson T, Oostermeijer JGB (2001) Demographic variation and population viability in Gentianella campestris: effects of grassland management and environmental stochasticity. J Ecol 89:451–463. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2001.00566.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Lennartsson T, Tuomi J, Nilsson P (1997) Evidence for an evolutionary history of overcompensation in the grassland biennial Gentianella campestris (Gentianaceae). Am Nat 149:1147–1155. doi: 10.1086/286043 PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Metcalf CR (1939) The sexual reproduction of Ranunculus ficaria. Ann Bot (Lond) 3:91–103Google Scholar
  24. Oberdorfer E (2001) Pflanzensoziologische Exkursionsflora für Deutschland und angrenzende Gebiete. Ulmer, StuttgartGoogle Scholar
  25. Persson HA, Gustavsson BA (2001) The extent of clonality and genetic diversity in ligonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idea L.) revealed by RAPDs and leaf-shape analysis. Mol Ecol 10:1385–1397. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01280.x PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Piqueras J (1999) Herbivory and ramet performance in the clonal herb Trientalis europaea L. J Ecol 87:450–460. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.1999.00372.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Piquot Y, Petit D, Valero M, Cuguen J, de Laguerie P, Vernet P (1998) Variation in sexual and asexual reproduction among young and old populations of the perennial macrophyte Sparganium erectum. Oikos 82:139–148. doi: 10.2307/3546924 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Pluess AR, Stöcklin J (2004) Population genetic diversity of the clonal plant Geum reptans (Rosaceae) in the Swiss Alps. Am J Bot 91:2013–2021. doi: 10.3732/ajb.91.12.2013 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Poschlod P, Biewer H (2005) Diaspore and gap availability are limiting species richness in wet meadows. Folia Geobot 40:13–34. doi: 10.1007/BF02803041 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Reisch C, Poschlod P (2003) Intraspecific variation, land use and habitat quality—a phenologic and morphometric analysis of Sesleria albicans (Poaceae). Flora 198:321–328Google Scholar
  31. Reisch C, Poschlod P (2004) Clonal diversity and subpopulation structure in central European relict populations of Saxifraga paniculata Mill. (Saxifragaceae). Feddes Repert 115:239–247. doi: 10.1002/fedr.200311040 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Reisch C, Schurm S, Poschlod P (2007) Spatial genetic structure and clonal diversity in an alpine population of Salix herbacea (Salicaceae). Ann Bot (Lond) 99:647–651. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcl290 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Rogers SO, Bendich AJ (1994) Extraction of total cellular DNA from plants, algae and fungi. In: Gelvin SB, Schilperoort RA (eds) Plant molecular biology manual. Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, pp 1–8Google Scholar
  34. Sebald O, Seybold S, Philippi G, Wörz A (1998) Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Baden-Württembergs. Ulmer, StuttgartGoogle Scholar
  35. Stace CA, Thompson M (1995) New flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
  36. Stehlik I, Holderegger R (2000) Spatial genetic structure and clonal diversity of Anemone nemorosa in late successional deciduous woodlands of Central Europe. J Ecol 88:424–435. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00458.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Steinger T, Körner C, Schmid B (1996) Long-term persistence in a changing climate: DNA analysis suggests very old ages of clones of alpine Carex curvula. Oecologia 105:94–99. doi: 10.1007/BF00328796 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Tague RT, Foré SA (2005) Analysis of the spatial genetic structure of Passiflora incarnata in recently disturbed sites. Can J Bot 83:420–426. doi: 10.1139/b05-014 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burgess NA, Moore DM, Valentine DH, Walters SM et al (1964) Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeGoogle Scholar
  40. Watkinson AR, Powell JC (1993) Seedling recruitment and the maintenance of clonal diversity in plant populations—a computer simulation of Ranunculus repens. J Ecol 81:707–717. doi: 10.2307/2261668 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Widén B, Cronberg C, Widén M (1994) Genotypic diversity, molecular markers and spatial distribution of genets in clonal plants, a literature survey. Folia Geobot Phytotaxon 29:245–263. doi: 10.1007/BF02803799 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Williams JGK, Kubelik AR, Livak KJ, Rafalski JA, Tingey SV (1990) DNA polymorphism amplified by arbitrary primers are useful as genetic markers. Nucleic Acids Res 18:6531–6535. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.22.6531 PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Xie Z-W, Lu Y-Q, Ge S, Hong D-Y, Li FZ (2001) Clonality in wild rice (Oryza rufipogon, Poaceae) and its implications for conservation management. Am J Bot 88:1058–1064. doi: 10.2307/2657088 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Yeh FC, Yang RC, Boyles TBJ, Ye ZH, Mao JX (1997) POPGENE, the user-friendly shareware for population genetic analysis. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, AlbertaGoogle Scholar
  45. Zopfi HJ (1997) Ecotypic variation of Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne (Scrophulariaceae) in relation to grassland management. Flora 192:270–295Google Scholar
  46. Zopfi HJ (1998) The genetic basis of ecotypic variants of Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne (Scrophulariaceae) in relation to grassland management. Flora 193:41–58Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Institute of BotanyUniversity of RegensburgRegensburgGermany

Personalised recommendations