Limited seed dispersal and genetic structure in life stages of Cecropia obtusifolia

• Published in: Evolution Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 275 - 282
• Main Authors: Epperson, B.K. (Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.), Alvarez-Buylla, E.R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society for the Study of Evolution 01-02-1997; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Analysis; Autocorrelation; BOSQUE TROPICAL HUMEDO; Brief Communications; CECROPIA OBTUSIFOLIA; Competition (Biology); DISEMINACION DE SEMILLAS; Dispersal; DISSEMINATION DES GRAINES; ESTRUCTURA DE LA POBLACION; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; FORET TROPICALE HUMIDE; Genetics; GENOTIPOS; GENOTYPE; GENOTYPES; GROWTH STAGES; join‐count statistics; MEXICO; MEXIQUE; PLANT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; Plant reproduction; PLANTULAS; PLANTULE; Pollen; population genetic structure; Population genetics; Population parameters; POPULATION STRUCTURE; SEED DISPERSAL; SEEDLINGS; Seeds; spatial autocorrelation; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; STRUCTURE DE LA POPULATION; Tree seeds; Trees; tropical rain forest; TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS; join-count statistics; spatial autocorrelation; tropical rain forest; Cecropia obtusifolia; population genetic structure; seed dispersal
• ISSN: 0014-3820; 1558-5646
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb02409.x

Researchers investigate the importance of seed dispersal on the population genetics and structure of Cecropia obtusifolia. Results show that the type of dispersal system of C. obtusifolia causes marked genetic spatial autocorrelations among the often large numbers of seedlings concentrated within canopy gaps.