S

NSCI 487(Ecological Internship)

Mentor: Ruth Hufbauer

Working on the reproductive ecology of Verbascum thapsus (Common Mullein) in its native and introduced range

By: Tanner Bonham

IntroductionVerbascum thapsus (Common Mullein)

Biology Biennial Mature plants grow up to 7 feet Flower: many in a dense spike

(opens for 24hrs)

Native Range Dry, stony hillsides, wasteland and open woodland Europe, Africa and West/Central Asia

Background

Introduction U.S. mid-1700’s by Puritans Used as a fish poison in Virginia Thought to be used as a medicinal herb

Coughs Diarrhea

Invasive Numerous seeds (100,000-180,000) per plant Long dominant period (up to 100 years?) Noxious “C” listed in Colorado

Introduced Range in U.S.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=veth

Common Mullein Along the Front Range

Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed observations. Not all populations have been documented, only

native and naturalized populations are mapped.http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Colorado&statefips=08&symbol=VETH

Ecological Impact

Threatens natural meadows and forest openings Easily adaptable to these areas

Grows more vigorous then native plants Covers large area (big biomass)

Fire species Takes over after a fire Numerous seeds that may lay dominant for years

Very resilient species

Very hard to eradicate!

Project

Hypothesis #1 Native populations are set in a specific ecological

niche and are locally adapted. performance decrease as distance increases when

individuals from different populations are crossed. Increased distance between populations will cause

offspring to have a lower fitness than the progeny from crosses with individuals in the same population

outbreeding depression in native range?

Procedure: distance between outcrossing populations related to

progeny performance

6:00am remove stamen from Receptor plant To ensure it wont self-pollinate

12:00pm remove stamen off Donor plant and pollinate Receptor plant Cover flower and wait for seeds to grow

Test in native and introduced range Evaluate results

"Population Admixture, Biological Invasions and the Balance between Local Adaptation

and Inbreeding Depression."

Verhoeven, Koen J.F., Mirka Macel, Lorne M. Wolfe, and Arjen Biere.

S. Latifolia (broadleaf

arrowhead, duck potato or Indian

potato)

Project (contd.)

Hypothesis #2 With respect to inbreeding:

Introductions select for the ability to self-pollinate when mates are limited in small founding populations.

Self-pollination in the introduced range will yield a higher performance than self-pollination in the native range.

Inbreeding depression in native population?

Procedure: self-pollination succession in its native and introduced range

No-manipulation flower Cover flower so it must self-pollinate

Outcross within its population Genetically different

Measure difference between self-pollinated and outcrossed plants Compare data between native and

introduced range

Theoretical Model#

Of S

eeds

Compare between native and introduced range Difference in

#seeds of self and outcrossed plantsNative Introduced

SelfOut-cross

My Role

Dig plants out of mulch and snow Vernalization

Move into greenhouse Initiate flowering

My Role (contd.) Arrange plants

spatially & numerically

Water/Fertilize Facilitate growth

Coming to an End

Research continues… Continue procedures Acquire data Discuses results

Theorize

What I learned Lab work Applied Research Experiment Procedures Invasions

Reproductive ecology

Works Cited Brickell, C. and J.D. Zuk. 1997. The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.

DK Publishing, Inc., NY. http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Verbascum+thapsus&guide=Wildflowers&cl=US/NC/Jackson

/Balsam_Mountain_Preserve

http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/figwort/verbascum/commonmullein.htm Rambuda TD, Johnson SD (2004) Breeding systems of invasive alien plants in South Africa: does Baker’s

rule apply? Diversity and Distributions, 10, 409–416. Eckert CG, Samis KE, Dart S (2006) Reproductive assurance and the evolution of uniparental

reproduction in flowering plants. In: Ecology and Evolution of Flowers (eds Harder LD, Barrett SCH), pp. 183–203. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

Keller, L. F. & Waller, D. M. 2002 Inbreeding effects in wild populations. Trends Ecol. Evol. 17, 230–241. (doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(02)02489-8)

Verhoeven, Koen J.F., Mirka Macel, Lorne M. Wolfe, and Arjen Biere. "Population Admixture, Biological Invasions and the Balance between Local Adaptation and Inbreeding Depression." Proceedings of The Royal Society (2010). Print.

Remaley, Tom. "FACT SHEET: COMMON MULLEIN." Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group, 20 May 2005. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AmCyc_Mullein_-_Common_Mullein.jpg