Evolution of Plant Competitive Performance in Different Environments: An Experimental Approach
| Competition is well known to affect growth
and reproduction in plants. Plants are thought to compete for a number of resources,
including water, nitrogen, and light. Such competition frequently suppresses plants
to less than 5% of their maximum possible growth, but exactly how plants compete
is relatively unknown. We therefore have even less idea of how important competition
has been in plant evolution and how we might expect plants to evolve when in competition.
This study directly follows the evolution of plants grown under competition for different
resources. Populations of wild mustard, Brassica rapa, will be grown in competition
with another species, Raphanus raphanistrum, for three generations. Each generation,
the plants that are "better" competitors will be chosen to pass on a greater
genetic contribution to the next generation through both seeds and pollen. In this
way, lines of plants will be bred to be better competitors under specific environmental
conditions. At the end of the breeding, the selected lines will be tested to determine
whether their competitive ability did increase and to determine what characteristics
of the plants evolved. Determining how plants evolve in response to a major component of their environment has significant implications. Competition is scientifically important in providing insight into both the evolutionary past and future of plants. The results could be used not only to explain why plants have their present characteristics, but also to explain aspects of biodiversity by suggesting how groups of plants evolve. Such information could be of great use to conservation biologists interested in explaining or predicting where plants may or may not be successful. It also has agronomic value: virtually all crop plants are grown under significant competition, and this study could help reveal how crop productivity is related to the evolution of competitive ability. |
This is an index to data produced from NSF funded research under DEB 96-3192 -- "Evolution
of plant competitive performance in different environments: an experimental approach."
The principal investigators are Thomas E. Miller, Gretchen LeBuhn, and Denise Thiede.
At this time, the experiment is still in progress. However, we are able to provide
direct access to preliminary data resulting from the research. In the future, we
expect to provide a complete data set. For further information about this experiment,
e-mail Thomas E. Miller
last updated on August 3, 1999