Fertility variation and its effect on diversity over generations in a teak plantation (Tectona grandis L.f.)

• Published in: Silvae genetica Vol. 48; no. 3-4; pp. 109 - 114
• Main Authors: Bila, A.D, Lindgren, D, Mullin, T.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frankfurt am Main Sauerländer 01-01-1999
• Subjects: AFRICA MERIDIONAL; AFRIQUE AUSTRALE; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; DIVERSIFICACION; DIVERSIFICATION; FERTILIDAD; FERTILITE; FERTILITY; FLEUR; FLORES; FLOWERS; FRUCTIFICACION; FRUCTIFICATION; FRUITING; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Genetics. Plant material; Genetic resources, diversity; GENETIC VARIATION; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; MOZAMBIQUE; PEUPLEMENT SEMENCIER; Plant material; RODAL SEMILLERO; SEED STANDS; SOUTHERN AFRICA; TECTONA GRANDIS; VARIACION GENETICA; VARIATION GENETIQUE; Genetic diversity; Forecast model; Artificial forest stand; Verbenaceae; Fertility; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Flowering; Hardwood forest tree; Spermatophyta; Inbred; Tectona grandis; Fructification
• ISSN: 0037-5349; 2509-8934

Flower and fruit production were used to assess plant fertility in a teak (Tectona grandis L.f) stand in southern Mozambique. The trees varied in fertility, the 20% most fertile trees in the stand producing 55% of the gametes. Formulae to calculate inbreeding, group coancestry and status number over generations were derived. Predictions over ten generations, assuming random mating, showed that inbreeding and group coancestry accumulate rapidly during the first generations while status number decreases. This loss of diversity was hastened by differences in fertility among parents. The calculations showed that the observed fertility variation will result in a similar loss of diversity over five generations as would be expected similar to that expected over ten generations were tif the trees were equally fertile. Inbreeding and relatedness increase, while diversity decreases at a considerably slower rate, when the contributions of one gender are kept constant. An efficient way to reduce the loss of diversity is to collect equal amounts of seeds from each seed parent contributing to the next generation.