Abstract Detail

Pteridology

Blais, Serena J [1], Harrington, Aidan [2], Blake-Mahmud, Jennifer [3], Sessa, Emily [4], Watkins, James [5], Visger, Clayton [6].

Assessing the contemporary and future implications of gametophyte ecogeographic divergence between two polyploid Dryopteris and their progenitors.

Ferns are a widespread clade found on most continents and are a critical understory component of many temperate and tropical rainforests. Polyploidy (whole genome-duplication) has been suggested to be a major driver of diversification, with polyploidization being a common occurrence amongst many fern lineages. Unlike the more well studied Angiosperms (flowering plants), ferns are under-studied due to their perceived low economic relevance, and as a result ,the direct impact of polyploidy on fern speciation, reproduction, and ecogeographic patterns is not well understood. Furthermore, most niche modeling driven investigations into fern systems have focused on the dominant life stage, the sporophyte, ignoring the conditions which the more vulnerable gametophyte must tolerate during the late summer months when precipitation is low and temperatures are at their highest. This study focuses on two polyploid fern systems found in North America, consisting of the allotetraploid Dryopteris celsa, its progenitors D. ludoviciana and D. goldiana, and the allotetraploid D. campyloptera, and its progenitors D. intermedia and D. expansa. We are examining differences in fundamental niche requirements between these polyploid fern gametophytes and the gametophytes of the diploid progenitors and contextualizing the results versus sporophyte-driven models across ecogeographic space. We will create forecasting models to assess the viability of both life stages of the species after 50 years of climate change under a moderate climate change model.

1 - California State University, Sacramento, Biology, 6131 Shupe Drive APT 33, Citrus Heights, CA, 95621, USA
2 - Colgate University, Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Biology, Biology, Hamilton, NY, 13346, United States
3 - Colgate University, Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY, 13346, United States
4 - University Of Florida, Biology, Box 118525, 521A Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
5 - Colgate University, Biology, 13 Oak Drive, Biology, Hamilton, NY, 13346, USA
6 - California State University Sacramento, Biological Sciences, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819, United States

Keywords:
Dryopteris
polyploidy
pteridiophytes
gametophytes
allopolyploid
climate change
Ecological niche.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P3, Pteridology Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P3PT003
Abstract ID:462
Candidate for Awards:None