"Breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of a rare sand dune s" by DaoYuan ZHANG, Xiang SHI et al.

Article Title

Breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of a rare sand dune shrub Eremosparton songoricum (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae): implications forconservation

Authors

DaoYuan ZHANG, 1 Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; 2 Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China;Follow
Xiang SHI, 3 Forestry College, College of Agriculture in Shihezi University, Shihezi 832011, China;
JianCheng WANG, 1 Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; 2 Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China;
HuiLiang LIU, 1 Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China; 2 Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Turpan 838008, China;

Abstract

The breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of Eremosparton songoricum (Litv.) Vass., a rare shrubby legume occurring in moving or semi-fixed sand dunes of Central Asian deserts, were examined by manipula-tive experiments and observational studies in natural populations during the period of 2007–2009. The results showed that E. songoricum exhibits a mixed mating system. It is self-compatible, but depends strictly on pollinators to set fruits. Only two effective pollinators were detected and they triggered the specialized pol-lination mechanism (a ‘brush type’ and ‘tripping mechanism’). Geitonogamy becomes predominant in natural populations, because (74.5±1.3)% of visiting activity happened within or between inflorescences and (24.3±1.4)% occurred between ramets. As a result, inbreeding depression caused by geitonogamous selfing inevitably happened under natural conditions, showing 2.36 times less fruit set than was achieved by hand cross-pollination. The results explained the rarity of the species due to its breeding system, and will assist to develop suitable conservation strategies in severe desert environments.

Keywords

geitonogamy; inbreeding depression; inland sand dunes; self-fertilization; pollen brush; tripping mechanism

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1227.2011.00231

First Page

231

Last Page

239

Recommended Citation

ZHANG, DaoYuan; SHI, Xiang; WANG, JianCheng; and LIU, HuiLiang (2011) "Breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of a rare sand dune shrub Eremosparton songoricum (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae): implications forconservation," Journal of Arid Land: Vol. 3 : Iss. 4 , Article 1.
DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1227.2011.00231
Available at: https://egijournals.researchcommons.org/journal-of-arid-land/vol3/iss4/1

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