Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.

We attempted to confirm that seed banks can be viewed as an important genetic reservoir by testing the hypothesis that standing (aboveground) plants represent a nonrandom sample of the seed bank. We sampled multilocus allozyme genotypes from three species with different life history strategies: Amar...

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Main Authors: Bohumil Mandák, Petr Zákravský, Václav Mahelka, Ivana Plačková
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3504043?pdf=render
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spelling doaj-5d51ee41634d4559a923c5502a310b012020-11-25T01:46:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-01711e4947110.1371/journal.pone.0049471Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.Bohumil MandákPetr ZákravskýVáclav MahelkaIvana PlačkováWe attempted to confirm that seed banks can be viewed as an important genetic reservoir by testing the hypothesis that standing (aboveground) plants represent a nonrandom sample of the seed bank. We sampled multilocus allozyme genotypes from three species with different life history strategies: Amaranthus retroflexus, Carduus acanthoides, Pastinaca sativa. In four populations of each species we analysed the extent to which allele and genotype frequencies vary in consecutive life history stages including the summer seed bank, which has been overlooked up to now. We compared the winter seed bank (i.e., seeds collected before the spring germination peak), seedlings, rosettes, the summer seed bank (i.e., seeds collected after the spring germination peak) and fruiting plants. We found that: (1) All three species partitioned most of their genetic diversity within life history stages and less among stages within populations and among populations. (2) All genetic diversity parameters, except for allele frequencies, were similar among all life history stages across all populations in different species. (3) There were differences in allele frequencies among life history stages at all localities in Amaranthus retroflexus and at three localities in both Carduus acanthoides and Pastinaca sativa. (4) Allele frequencies did not differ between the winter and summer seed bank in most Carduus acanthoides and Pastinaca sativa populations, but there was a marked difference in Amaranthus retroflexus. In conclusion, we have shown that the summer seed bank is not genetically depleted by spring germination and that a majority of genetic diversity remains in the soil through summer. We suggest that seed banks in the species investigated play an important role by maintaining genetic diversity sufficient for recovery rather than by accumulating new genetic diversity at each locality.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3504043?pdf=render
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Bohumil Mandák
Petr Zákravský
Václav Mahelka
Ivana Plačková
spellingShingle Bohumil Mandák
Petr Zákravský
Václav Mahelka
Ivana Plačková
Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
PLoS ONE
author_facet Bohumil Mandák
Petr Zákravský
Václav Mahelka
Ivana Plačková
author_sort Bohumil Mandák
title Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
title_short Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
title_full Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
title_fullStr Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
title_full_unstemmed Can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? A study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
title_sort can soil seed banks serve as genetic memory? a study of three species with contrasting life history strategies.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS ONE
issn 1932-6203
publishDate 2012-01-01
description We attempted to confirm that seed banks can be viewed as an important genetic reservoir by testing the hypothesis that standing (aboveground) plants represent a nonrandom sample of the seed bank. We sampled multilocus allozyme genotypes from three species with different life history strategies: Amaranthus retroflexus, Carduus acanthoides, Pastinaca sativa. In four populations of each species we analysed the extent to which allele and genotype frequencies vary in consecutive life history stages including the summer seed bank, which has been overlooked up to now. We compared the winter seed bank (i.e., seeds collected before the spring germination peak), seedlings, rosettes, the summer seed bank (i.e., seeds collected after the spring germination peak) and fruiting plants. We found that: (1) All three species partitioned most of their genetic diversity within life history stages and less among stages within populations and among populations. (2) All genetic diversity parameters, except for allele frequencies, were similar among all life history stages across all populations in different species. (3) There were differences in allele frequencies among life history stages at all localities in Amaranthus retroflexus and at three localities in both Carduus acanthoides and Pastinaca sativa. (4) Allele frequencies did not differ between the winter and summer seed bank in most Carduus acanthoides and Pastinaca sativa populations, but there was a marked difference in Amaranthus retroflexus. In conclusion, we have shown that the summer seed bank is not genetically depleted by spring germination and that a majority of genetic diversity remains in the soil through summer. We suggest that seed banks in the species investigated play an important role by maintaining genetic diversity sufficient for recovery rather than by accumulating new genetic diversity at each locality.
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3504043?pdf=render
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