Pollen flow in the wildservice tree,Sorbus torminalis(L.) Crantz. I. Evaluating the paternity analysis procedure in continuous populations

Highly clustered mating networks in naturally fragmented riparian tree populations

Understanding how spatial patterns of mating and gene flow respond to habitat loss and geographical isolation is a crucial aspect of forest fragmentation genetics. Naturally fragmented riparian tree populations exhibit unique characteristics that significantly influence these patterns. In this study, we investigate mating patterns, pollen-mediated gene flow, and genetic diversity in relict populations of Frangula alnus in southern Spain by testing specific hypotheses related to the riparian habitat. We employ a novel approach that combines paternity analysis, particularly suited for small and isolated populations, with complex network theory and Bayesian models to predict mating likelihood among tree pairs. Our findings reveal a prevalence of short-distance pollination, resulting in spatially driven local mating clusters with a distinct subset of trees being highly connected in the mating network. Additionally, we observe numerous pollination events over distances of hundreds of metres and considerable pollen immigration. Local neighbourhood density is the primary factor influencing within-population mating patterns and pollen dispersal; moreover, mating network properties reflect the population's size and spatial configuration. Conversely, among-population pollen dispersal is mainly determined by tree size, which influences floral display. Our results do not support a major role of directional pollen dispersal in longitudinal trends of genetic diversity. We provide evidence that long-term fragmented tree populations persist in unique environments that shape mating patterns and impose constraints to pollen-mediated gene flow. Nevertheless, even seemingly strongly isolated populations can maintain functional connectivity over extended periods, especially when animal-mediated mating networks promote genetic diversity, as in this riparian tree species.

Short distance pollen dispersal and low genetic diversity in a subcanopy tropical rainforest tree, Fontainea picrosperma (Euphorbiaceae)

Gene flow via pollen movement affects genetic variation in plant populations and is an important consideration in plant domestication. Fontainea picrosperma is a subcanopy rainforest tree that is of commercial interest because it is the source of tigilanol tiglate, a natural product used for the treatment of solid tumors. We identify patterns of pollen-mediated gene flow within natural populations of F. picrosperma and estimate genetic parameters and genetic structure between adult and juvenile groups using microsatellite markers. Our results show pollination events occur over much shorter distances than reported for tropical canopy species. At least 63% of seeds are sired by male trees located within 30 m of the mother. On average, 27% of the local male population contributed to successful reproduction of F. picrosperma with most fathers siring a single seed, however, the contributions to reproduction were uneven. Larger male trees with more flowers had greater reproductive success than those with less flowers (P < 0.05). There were comparatively low levels of genetic variation across the species (H_E = 0.405 for adult trees and 0.379 for juveniles) and we found no loss of genetic diversity between adult and juvenile trees. Short distance pollen flow and low genetic diversity is theoretically a prelude to genetic impoverishment, however F. picrosperma has persisted through multiple significant climatic oscillations. Nevertheless, the remaining low genetic diversity is of concern for domestication programs which require maximal genetic diversity to facilitate efficient selective breeding and genetic improvement of this commercially significant species.

Effects of tree architecture on pollen dispersal and mating patterns in Abies pinsapo Boiss. (Pinaceae)

Plant architecture is crucial to pollination and mating in wind-pollinated species. We investigated the effect of crown architecture on pollen dispersal, mating system and offspring quality, combining phenotypic and genotypic analyses in a low-density population of the endangered species Abies pinsapo. A total of 598 embryos from three relative crown height levels (bottom, middle and top) in five mother plants were genotyped using eleven nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs). Paternity analysis and mating system models were used to infer mating and pollen dispersal parameters. In addition, seeds were weighed (N = 16 110) and germinated (N = 736), and seedling vigour was measured to assess inbreeding depression. Overall, A. pinsapo shows a fat-tailed dispersal kernel, with an average pollen dispersal distance of 113-227 m, an immigration rate of 0.84-26.92%, and a number of effective pollen donors (Nep ) ranging between 3.5 and 11.9. We found an effect of tree height and relative crown height levels on mating parameters. A higher proportion of seeds with embryo (about 50%) and a higher rate of self-fertilization (about 60%) were found at the bottom level in comparison with the top level. Seed weight and seedling vigour are positively related. Nevertheless, no differences were found in seed weight or in seedling-related variables such as weight and length of aerial and subterranean parts among the different relative crown height levels, suggesting that seeds from the more strongly inbred bottom level are not affected by inbreeding depression. Our results point to vertical isotropy for outcross-pollen and they suggest that self-pollen may ensure fertilization when outcross-pollen is not available in low-density population.

Patterns of pollen dispersal in a small population of the Canarian endemic palm (Phoenix canariensis)

The genetic diversity of small populations is greatly influenced by local dispersal patterns and genetic connectivity among populations, with pollen dispersal being the major component of gene flow in many plants species. Patterns of pollen dispersal, mating system parameters and spatial genetic structure were investigated in a small isolated population of the emblematic palm Phoenix canariensis in Gran Canaria island (Canary Islands). All adult palms present in the study population (n=182), as well as 616 seeds collected from 22 female palms, were mapped and genotyped at 8 microsatellite loci. Mating system analysis revealed an average of 5.8 effective pollen donors (Nep) per female. There was strong variation in correlated paternity rates across maternal progenies (ranging from null to 0.9) that could not be explained by the location and density of local males around focal females. Paternity analysis revealed a mean effective pollen dispersal distance of ∼71 m, with ∼70% of effective pollen originating from a distance of <75 m, and 90% from <200 m. A spatially explicit mating model indicated a leptokurtic pollen dispersal kernel, significant pollen immigration (12%) from external palm groves and a directional pollen dispersal pattern that seems consistent with local altitudinal air movement. No evidence of inbreeding or genetic diversity erosion was found, but spatial genetic structure was detected in the small palm population. Overall, the results suggest substantial pollen dispersal over the studied population, genetic connectivity among different palm groves and some resilience to neutral genetic erosion and subsequently to fragmentation.

Gene flow and genetic diversity in cultivated and wild cacao (Theobroma cacao) in Bolivia

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

The role of pollen flow within and between cultivated and wild tropical crop species is little known. To study the pollen flow of cacao, we estimated the degree of self-pollination and pollen dispersal distances as well as gene flow between wild and cultivated cacao (Theobroma cacao L.).

METHODS

We studied pollen flow and genetic diversity of cultivated and wild cacao populations by genotyping 143 wild and 86 cultivated mature plants and 374 seedlings raised from 19 wild and 25 cultivated trees at nine microsatellite loci.

KEY RESULTS

A principal component analysis distinguished wild and cultivated cacao trees, supporting the notion that Bolivia harbors truly wild cacao populations. Cultivated cacao had a higher level of genetic diversity than wild cacao, presumably reflecting the varied origin of cultivated plants. Both cacao types had high outcrossing rates, but the paternity analysis revealed 7-14% self-pollination in wild and cultivated cacao. Despite the tiny size of the pollinators, pollen was transported distances up to 3 km; wild cacao showed longer distances (mean = 922 m) than cultivated cacao (826 m). Our data revealed that 16-20% of pollination events occurred between cultivated and wild populations.

CONCLUSIONS

We found evidence of self-pollination in both wild and cultivated cacao. Pollination distances are larger than those typically reported in tropical understory tree species. The relatively high pollen exchange from cultivated to wild cacao compromises genetic identity of wild populations, calling for the protection of extensive natural forest tracts to protect wild cacao in Bolivia.

Extensive pollen flow but few pollen donors and high reproductive variance in an extremely fragmented landscape

Analysing pollen movement is a key to understanding the reproductive system of plant species and how it is influenced by the spatial distribution of potential mating partners in fragmented populations. Here we infer parameters related to levels of pollen movement and diversity of the effective pollen cloud for the wind-pollinated shrub Pistacia lentiscus across a highly disturbed landscape using microsatellite loci. Paternity analysis and the indirect KinDist and Mixed Effect Mating models were used to assess mating patterns, the pollen dispersal kernel, the effective number of males (N_ep) and their relative individual fertility, as well as the existence of fine-scale spatial genetic structure in adult plants. All methods showed extensive pollen movement, with high rates of pollen flow from outside the study site (up to 73–93%), fat-tailed dispersal kernels and large average pollination distances (δ = 229–412 m). However, they also agreed in detecting very few pollen donors (N_ep = 4.3–10.2) and a large variance in their reproductive success: 70% of males did not sire any offspring among the studied female plants and 5.5% of males were responsible for 50% of pollinations. Although we did not find reduced levels of genetic diversity, the adult population showed high levels of biparental inbreeding (14%) and strong spatial genetic structure (S_p = 0.012), probably due to restricted seed dispersal and scarce safe sites for recruitment. Overall, limited seed dispersal and the scarcity of successful pollen donors can be contributing to generate local pedigrees and to increase inbreeding, the prelude of genetic impoverishment.

Comparison of pollen gene flow among four European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) populations characterized by different management regimes

The study of the dispersal capability of a species can provide essential information for the management and conservation of its genetic variability. Comparison of gene flow rates among populations characterized by different management and evolutionary histories allows one to decipher the role of factors such as isolation and tree density on gene movements. We used two paternity analysis approaches and different strategies to handle the possible presence of genotyping errors to obtain robust estimates of pollen flow in four European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) populations from Austria and France. In each country one of the two plots is located in an unmanaged forest; the other plots are managed with a shelterwood system and inside a colonization area (in Austria and France, respectively). The two paternity analysis approaches provided almost identical estimates of gene flow. In general, we found high pollen immigration (~75% of pollen from outside), with the exception of the plot from a highly isolated forest remnant (~50%). In the two unmanaged plots, the average within-population pollen dispersal distances (from 80 to 184 m) were higher than previously estimated for beech. From the comparison between the Austrian managed and unmanaged plots, that are only 500 m apart, we found no evidence that either gene flow or reproductive success distributions were significantly altered by forest management. The investigated phenotypic traits (crown area, height, diameter and flowering phenology) were not significantly related with male reproductive success. Shelterwood seems to have an effect on the distribution of within-population pollen dispersal distances. In the managed plot, pollen dispersal distances were shorter, possibly because adult tree density is three-fold (163 versus 57 trees per hectare) with respect to the unmanaged one.

Effects of male fecundity, interindividual distance and anisotropic pollen dispersal on mating success in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seed orchard

Quantifying the effect of pollen dispersal and flowering traits on mating success is essential for understanding evolutionary responses to changing environments and establishing strategies for forest tree breeding. This study examined, quantitatively, the effects of male fecundity, interindividual distance and anisotropic pollen dispersal on the mating success of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), utilizing a well-mapped Scots pine seed orchard. Paternity analysis of 1021 seeds sampled from 87 trees representing 28 clones showed that 53% of the seeds had at least one potential pollen parent within the orchard. Pronounced variation in paternal contribution was observed among clones. Variations in pollen production explained up to 78% of the variation in mating success, which was 11.2 times greater for clones producing the largest amount of pollen than for clones producing the least pollen. Mating success also varied with intertree distance and direction, which explained up to 28% of the variance. Fertilization between neighboring trees 2.3 m apart was 2.4 times more frequent than between trees 4.6 m apart, and up to 12.4 times higher for trees downwind of the presumed prevailing wind direction than for upwind trees. The effective number of pollen donors recorded in the seed orchard (12.2) was smaller than the theoretical expectation (19.7). Based on the empirical observations, a mating model that best describes the gene dispersal pattern in clonal seed orchards was constructed.

The effects of inbreeding, genetic dissimilarity and phenotype on male reproductive success in a dioecious plant

Pollen fate can strongly affect the genetic structure of populations with restricted gene flow and significant inbreeding risk. We established an experimental population of inbred and outbred Silene latifolia plants to evaluate the effects of (i) inbreeding depression, (ii) phenotypic variation and (iii) relatedness between mates on male fitness under natural pollination. Paternity analysis revealed that outbred males sired significantly more offspring than inbred males. Independently of the effects of inbreeding, male fitness depended on several male traits, including a sexually dimorphic (flower number) and a gametophytic trait (in vitro pollen germination rate). In addition, full-sib matings were less frequent than randomly expected. Thus, inbreeding, phenotype and genetic dissimilarity simultaneously affect male fitness in this animal-pollinated plant. While inbreeding depression might threaten population persistence, the deficiency of effective matings between sibs and the higher fitness of outbred males will reduce its occurrence and counter genetic erosion.

Effects of fine-scale genetic structure on male mating success in gynodioecious Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima

Plant mating systems are known to influence population genetic structure because pollen and seed dispersal are often spatially restricted. However, the reciprocal outcomes of population structure on the dynamics of polymorphic mating systems have received little attention. In gynodioecious sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima), three sexual types co-occur: females carrying a cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) gene, hermaphrodites carrying a non-CMS cytoplasm and restored hermaphrodites that carry CMS genes and nuclear restorer alleles. This study investigated the effects of fine-scale genetic structure on male reproductive success of the two hermaphroditic forms. Our study population was strongly structured and characterized by contrasting local sex-ratios. Pollen flow was constrained over short distances and depended on local plant density. Interestingly, restored hermaphrodites sired significantly more seedlings than non-CMS hermaphrodites, despite the previous observation that the former produce pollen of lower quality than the latter. This result was explained by the higher frequency of females in the local vicinity of restored (CMS) hermaphrodites as compared to non-CMS hermaphrodites. Population structure thus strongly influences individual fitness and may locally counteract the expected effects of selection, suggesting that understanding fine scale population processes is central to predicting the evolution of gender polymorphism in angiosperms.

Spontaneous interspecific hybridization and patterns of pollen dispersal in ex situ populations of a tree species (Sinojackia xylocarpa) that is extinct in the wild

For endangered plants interspecific hybridization occurring in ex situ collections may lead to failure of reintroduction actions. We used Sinojackia xylocarpa, a well documented Chinese endemic species that is extinct in the wild, as a model case to address this concern. We used paternity analyses to assess the spontaneous hybridization and patterns of pollen flow between S. xylocarpa and its congener species, S. rehderiana, in conserved populations in Wuhan Botanic Garden. Interspecific hybridization events were detected in seven out of eight maternal trees of S. xylocarpa, and an average of 32.7% seeds collected from maternal trees of S. xylocarpa were hybrids. The paternity of 93 out of 249 seedlings from S. xylocarpa assigned to S. rehderiana provided convincing evidence that spontaneous interspecific hybridization occurred extensively in the living garden collection we studied. Different patterns of pollen dispersal (predominantly short-distance vs. long-distance pollination) were observed between intra- and interspecific hybridization events in the garden. Pollen dispersal within the ex situ populations was not restricted by distance, as evidenced by a lack of significant correlations between the average effective pollen dispersal distance (delta) and the geographic distances (d1 and d2) between maternal and paternal trees. The interspecific pollen-dispersal distance ranged from 10 to 620.1 m (mean 294.4 m). Such extensive hybridization in ex situ collections could jeopardize the genetic integrity of endangered species and irrevocably contaminate the gene pool if such hybrids are used for reintroduction and restoration. We recommend strongly that measures be taken to minimize the genetic risks of this kind of hybridization, including establishing buffer zones in ex situ collections, manipulating flowering phenology, testing seed lots before use in reintroduction programs, and controlling pollination for seed purity.

Parentage in natural populations: novel methods to detect parent-offspring pairs in large data sets

Parentage analysis in natural populations presents a valuable yet unique challenge because of large numbers of pairwise comparisons, marker set limitations and few sampled true parent-offspring pairs. These limitations can result in the incorrect assignment of false parent-offspring pairs that share alleles across multi-locus genotypes by chance alone. I first define a probability, Pr(δ), to estimate the expected number of false parent-offspring pairs within a data set. This probability can be used to determine whether one can accept all putative parent-offspring pairs with strict exclusion. I next define the probability Pr(φ|λ), which employs Bayes' theorem to determine the probability of a putative parent-offspring pair being false given the frequencies of shared alleles. This probability can be used to separate true parent-offspring pairs from false pairs that occur by chance when a data set lacks sufficient numbers of loci to accept all putative parent-offspring pairs. Finally, I propose a method to quantitatively determine how many loci to let mismatch for study-specific error rates and demonstrate that few data sets should need to allow more than two loci to mismatch. I test all theoretical predictions with simulated data and find that, first, Pr(δ) and Pr(φ|λ) have very low bias, and second, that power increases with lower sample sizes, uniform allele frequency distributions, and higher numbers of loci and alleles per locus. Comparisons of Pr(φ|λ) to strict exclusion and CERVUS demonstrate that this method may be most appropriate for large natural populations when supplemental data (e.g. genealogies, candidate parents) are absent.

Long distance pollen-mediated gene flow at a landscape level: the weed beet as a case study

Gene flow is a crucial parameter that can affect the organization of genetic diversity in plant species. It has important implications in terms of conservation of genetic resources and of gene exchanges between crop to wild relatives and within crop species complex. In the Beta vulgaris complex, hybridization between crop and wild beets in seed production areas is well documented and the role of the ensuing hybrids, weed beets, as bridges towards wild forms in sugar beet production areas have been shown. Indeed, in contrast to cultivated beets that are bi-annual, weed beets can bolt, flower and reproduce in the same crop season. Nonetheless, the extent of pollen gene dispersal through weedy lineages remains unknown. In this study, the focus is directed towards weed-to-weed gene flow, and we report the results of a pollen-dispersal analysis within an agricultural landscape composed of five sugar beet fields with different levels of infestation by weed beets. Our results, based on paternity analysis of 3240 progenies from 135 maternal plants using 10 microsatellite loci, clearly demonstrate that even if weedy plants are mostly pollinated by individuals from the same field, some mating events occur between weed beets situated several kilometres apart (up to 9.6 km), with rates of interfield-detected paternities ranging from 11.3% to 17.5%. Moreover, we show that pollen flow appears to be more restricted when individuals are aggregated as most mating events occurred only for short-distance classes. The best-fit dispersal curves were fat-tailed geometric functions for populations exhibiting low densities of weed beets and thin-tailed Weibull function for fields with weed beet high densities. Thus, weed beet populations characterized by low density with geographically isolated individuals may be difficult to detect but are likely to act as pollen traps for pollen emitted by close and remote fields. Hence, it appears evident that interfield pollen-mediated gene flow between weed beets is almost unavoidable and could contribute to the diffusion of (trans)genes in the agricultural landscape.

Regional population dynamics define the local genetic structure in Sorbus torminalis

Recent changes in sylvicultural practices in Central Europe have created forests with closed canopies, and tree species preferring open and sunny forests have declined in area and abundance. This led to increased isolation of populations of many rare insect-pollinated, fleshy-fruited species with a naturally scattered distribution. To gain insight into the regional population dynamics of such species, we investigated the consequences of spatial isolation, population size and density on the genetic structure of Sorbus torminalis and simultaneously considered the relationship between fecundity and habitat quality. Genotype data for biparentally (ISSRs) and maternally inherited (cpDNA PCR-RFLPs) molecular markers were generated for 26 Swiss populations of S. torminalis. We applied analyses of molecular variance (amova) to both marker types and separated the relative contributions of pollen and seed dispersal to historical gene flow. amova detected significant differentiation among populations (Phi(ST ISSR) = 0.107; Phi(ST cpDNA) = 0.370) in both marker types. The relative rate of pollen to seed gene flow was low (r = 2.919) and significantly different from equality. Isolation by distance was weak within Eastern and Western Switzerland, although populations were substantially differentiated. Within-population molecular variance was not explained by population size, whereas habitat quality (openness) positively influenced the percentage of fruiting trees and the degree of fruiting per tree, indicating that more open forests enhance sexual reproduction. Our findings of significant genetic differentiation in the absence of clear geographical structuring can be explained by the distinct ecology of S. torminalis and nondirectional colonization events in metapopulation-like dynamics.

Modelling and estimating pollen movement in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) at the landscape scale using genetic markers

Understanding patterns of pollen movement at the landscape scale is important for establishing management rules following the release of genetically modified (GM) crops. We use here a mating model adapted to cultivated species to estimate dispersal kernels from the genotypes of the progenies of male-sterile plants positioned at different sampling sites within a 10 x 10-km oilseed rape production area. Half of the pollen clouds sampled by the male-sterile plants originated from uncharacterized pollen sources that could consist of both large volunteer and feral populations, and fields within and outside the study area. The geometric dispersal kernel was the most appropriate to predict pollen movement in the study area. It predicted a much larger proportion of long-distance pollination than previously fitted dispersal kernels. This best-fitting mating model underestimated the level of differentiation among pollen clouds but could predict its spatial structure. The estimation method was validated on simulated genotypic data, and proved to provide good estimates of both the shape of the dispersal kernel and the rate and composition of pollen issued from uncharacterized pollen sources. The best dispersal kernel fitted here, the geometric kernel, should now be integrated into models that aim at predicting gene flow at the landscape level, in particular between GM and non-GM crops.

Mating patterns and contemporary gene flow by pollen in a large continuous and a small isolated population of the scattered forest tree Sorbus torminalis

The influence of population size and spatial isolation on contemporary gene flow by pollen and mating patterns in temperate forest trees are not well documented, although they are crucial factors in the life history of plant species. We analysed a small, isolated population and a large, continuous population of the insect-pollinated tree species Sorbus torminalis in two consecutive years. The species recently experienced increased habitat fragmentation due to altered forest management leading to forests with closed canopies. We estimated individual plant size, percentage of flowering trees, intensity of flowering, degree of fruiting and seed set per fruit, and we determined mating patterns, pollen flow distances and external gene flow in a genetic paternity analysis based on microsatellite markers. We found clear effects of small population size and spatial isolation in S. torminalis. Compared with the large, continuous population, the small and isolated population harboured a lower percentage of flowering trees, showed less intense flowering, lower fruiting, less developed seeds per fruit, increased selfing and received less immigrant pollen. However, the negative inbreeding coefficients (F(IS)) of offspring indicated that this did not result in inbred seed at the population level. We also show that flowering, fruiting and pollen flow patterns varied among years, the latter being affected by the size of individuals. Though our study was unreplicated at the factor level (i.e. isolated vs non-isolated populations), it shows that small and spatially isolated populations of S. torminalis may also be genetically isolated, but that their progeny is not necessarily more inbred.

Assortative mating and differential male mating success in an ash hybrid zone population

BACKGROUND

The structure and evolution of hybrid zones depend mainly on the relative importance of dispersal and local adaptation, and on the strength of assortative mating. Here, we study the influence of dispersal, temporal isolation, variability in phenotypic traits and parasite attacks on the male mating success of two parental species and hybrids by real-time pollen flow analysis. We focus on a hybrid zone population between the two closely related ash species Fraxinus excelsior L. (common ash) and F. angustifolia Vahl (narrow-leaved ash), which is composed of individuals of the two species and several hybrid types. This population is structured by flowering time: the F. excelsior individuals flower later than the F. angustifolia individuals, and the hybrid types flower in-between. Hybrids are scattered throughout the population, suggesting favorable conditions for their local adaptation. We estimate jointly the best-fitting dispersal kernel, the differences in male fecundity due to variation in phenotypic traits and level of parasite attack, and the strength of assortative mating due to differences in flowering phenology. In addition, we assess the effect of accounting for genotyping error on these estimations.

RESULTS

We detected a very high pollen immigration rate and a fat-tailed dispersal kernel, counter-balanced by slight phenological assortative mating and short-distance pollen dispersal. Early intermediate flowering hybrids, which had the highest male mating success, showed optimal sex allocation and increased selfing rates. We detected asymmetry of gene flow, with early flowering trees participating more as pollen donors than late flowering trees.

CONCLUSION

This study provides striking evidence that long-distance gene flow alone is not sufficient to counter-act the effects of assortative mating and selfing. Phenological assortative mating and short-distance dispersal can create temporal and spatial structuring that appears to maintain this hybrid population. The asymmetry of gene flow, with higher fertility and increased selfing, can potentially confer a selective advantage to early flowering hybrids in the zone. In the event of climate change, hybridization may provide a means for F. angustifolia to further extend its range at the expense of F. excelsior.

Estimating pollen flow using SSR markers and paternity exclusion: accounting for mistyping

Highly informative genetic markers, such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs), can be used to directly measure pollen flow by parentage analysis. However, mistyping (i.e. false inference of genotypes caused by the occurrence of null alleles, mutations, and detection errors) can lead to substantial biases in the estimates obtained. Using computer simulations, we evaluated a direct method for estimating pollen immigration using SSR markers and a paternity exclusion approach. This method accounts for mistyping and does not rely on assumptions about the distribution of male reproductive success. If ignored, even minor rates of mistyping (1.5%) resulted in overestimating pollen immigration by up to 150%. When we required at least two mismatching loci before excluding candidate fathers from paternity, the resulting pollen immigration estimates had small biases for rates of mistyping up to 4.5%. Requiring at least three mismatches for exclusion was needed to minimize the upward biases of pollen immigration caused by rates of mistyping up to 10.5%. The minimum number of highly variable SSR loci needed to minimize cryptic gene flow and obtain reliable estimates of pollen immigration varied from five to seven for a sampling scheme applicable to most conifers (i.e. when paternal haplotypes can be unambiguously determined). Between five and nine highly variable SSR loci were needed for a more general sampling scheme that is applicable to all diploid seed plants. With moderately variable SSR markers, consistently accurate estimates of pollen immigration could be obtained only for rates of mistyping up to 4.5%. We developed the POLLEN FLOW (PFL) computer program which can be used to obtain unbiased and precise estimates of pollen immigration under a wide range of conditions, including population sizes as large as 600 parents and mistyping rates as high as 10.5%.

Pollen flow in the wildservice tree, Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz. II. Pollen dispersal and heterogeneity in mating success inferred from parent-offspring analysis

Knowing the extent of gene movements from parents to offspring is essential to understand the potential of a species to adapt rapidly to a changing environment, and to design appropriate conservation strategies. In this study, we develop a nonlinear statistical model to jointly estimate the pollen dispersal kernel and the heterogeneity in fecundity among phenotypically or environmentally defined groups of males. This model uses genotype data from a sample of fruiting plants, a sample of seeds harvested on each of these plants, and all males within a circumscribed area. We apply this model to a scattered, entomophilous woody species, Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz, within a natural population covering more than 470 ha. We estimate a high heterogeneity in male fecundity among ecological groups, both due to phenotype (size of the trees and flowering intensity) and landscape factors (stand density within the neighbourhood). We also show that fat-tailed kernels are the most appropriate to depict the important abilities of long-distance pollen dispersal for this species. Finally, our results reveal that the spatial position of a male with respect to females affects as much its mating success as ecological determinants of male fecundity. Our study thus stresses the interest to account for the dispersal kernel when estimating heterogeneity in male fecundity, and reciprocally.

High diversity of oilseed rape pollen clouds over an agro-ecosystem indicates long-distance dispersal

Abstract Estimating the frequency of long-distance pollination is important in cultivated species, particularly to assess the risk of gene transfer following the release of genetically modified crops. For this purpose, we estimated the diversity and origin of fertilizing pollen in a 10 x 10 km French oilseed rape production area. First, the cultivar grown in each field was identified through surveys to farmers and using microsatellite markers. Examination of the seed set in fields indicated high rates of seed contamination (8.7%) and pollination from other sources (5%). Then, male-sterile plants were scattered over the study area and their seed genotyped using the same markers. Most pollination was local: 65% of the seeds had a compatible sire in the closest field, i.e. at 50 or 300 m depending on site, but the nearest compatible field was found more than 1000 m away for 13% of the seeds. To assess the diversity of fertilizing pollen, each seed was assigned to the nearest putative siring cultivar. The observed diversity of pollen was then compared to that predicted by simulations using three empirical dispersal models with increasing proportion of long-distance pollination. The diversity was sensitive to the dispersal kernel used in the simulations, fatter-tailed functions predicting higher diversities. The dispersal kernel that was more consistent with our data predicted more long-distance dispersal than the exponential function.

Unbiased estimation of relative reproductive success of different groups: evaluation and correction of bias caused by parentage assignment errors

Parentage assignment is widely applied to studies on mating systems, population dynamics and natural selection. However, little is known about the consequence of assignment errors, especially when some parents are not sampled. We investigated the effects of two types of error in parentage assignment, failing to assign a true parent (type A) and assigning an untrue parent (type B), on an estimate of the relative reproductive success (RRS) of two groups of parents. Employing a mathematical approach, we found that (i) when all parents are sampled, minimizing either type A or type B error insures the minimum bias on RRS, and (ii) when a large number of parents is not sampled, type B error substantially biases the estimated RRS towards one. Interestingly, however, (iii) when all parents were sampled and both error rates were moderately high, type A error biased the estimated RRS even more than type B error. We propose new methods to obtain an unbiased estimate of RRS and the number of offspring whose parents are not sampled (zW(z)), by correcting the error effects. Applying them to genotypic data from steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), we illustrated how to estimate and control the assignment errors. In the data, we observed up to a 30% assignment error and a strong trade-off between the two types of error, depending on the stringency of the assignment decision criterion. We show that our methods can efficiently estimate an unbiased RRS and zW(z) regardless of assignment method, and how to maximize the statistical power to detect a difference in reproductive success between groups.

Parentage versus two-generation analyses for estimating pollen-mediated gene flow in plant populations

Assessment of contemporary pollen-mediated gene flow in plants is important for various aspects of plant population biology, genetic conservation and breeding. Here, through simulations we compare the two alternative approaches for measuring pollen-mediated gene flow: (i) the NEIGHBORHOOD model--a representative of parentage analyses, and (ii) the recently developed TWOGENER analysis of pollen pool structure. We investigate their properties in estimating the effective number of pollen parents (N(ep)) and the mean pollen dispersal distance (delta). We demonstrate that both methods provide very congruent estimates of N(ep) and delta, when the methods' assumptions considering the shape of pollen dispersal curve and the mating system follow those used in data simulations, although the NEIGHBORHOOD model exhibits generally lower variances of the estimates. The violations of the assumptions, especially increased selfing or long-distance pollen dispersal, affect the two methods to a different degree; however, they are still capable to provide comparable estimates of N(ep). The NEIGHBORHOOD model inherently allows to estimate both self-fertilization and outcrossing due to the long-distance pollen dispersal; however, the TWOGENER method is particularly sensitive to inflated selfing levels, which in turn may confound and suppress the effects of distant pollen movement. As a solution we demonstrate that in case of TWOGENER it is possible to extract the fraction of intraclass correlation that results from outcrossing only, which seems to be very relevant for measuring pollen-mediated gene flow. The two approaches differ in estimation precision and experimental efforts but they seem to be complementary depending on the main research focus and type of a population studied.

Impacts of gene flow and logging history on the local genetic structure of a scattered tree species, Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz

Sorbus torminalis L. Crantz is a colonizing tree species usually found at low density in managed European forests. Using six microsatellite markers, we investigated spatial and temporal patterns of genetic structure within a 472-ha population of 185 individuals to infer processes shaping the distribution of genetic diversity. Only eight young stems were found to be the result of vegetative reproduction. Despite high levels of gene flow (standard deviation of gene dispersal = 360 m), marked patterns of isolation by distance were detected, associated with an aggregated distribution of individuals in approximately 100-m patches. This spatial structure of both genes and individuals is likely to result from patterns of seedling recruitment combined with low tree density. Our results suggest that landscape factors and logging cycles markedly shape the distribution of favourable sites for seedling establishment, which are then colonized by sibling cohorts as a result of joint seed transportation by frugivores. These combined genetic and demographic processes result in similar genetic structure both within and among logging units. However, conversion to high forest may enhance genetic structuring.

Using genetic markers to estimate the pollen dispersal curve

Pollen dispersal is a critical process that shapes genetic diversity in natural populations of plants. Estimating the pollen dispersal curve can provide insight into the evolutionary dynamics of populations and is essential background for making predictions about changes induced by perturbations. Specifically, we would like to know whether the dispersal curve is exponential, thin-tailed (decreasing faster than exponential), or fat-tailed (decreasing slower than the exponential). In the latter case, rare events of long-distance dispersal will be much more likely. Here we generalize the previously developed TWOGENER method, assuming that the pollen dispersal curve belongs to particular one- or two-parameter families of dispersal curves and estimating simultaneously the parameters of the dispersal curve and the effective density of reproducing individuals in the population. We tested this method on simulated data, using an exponential power distribution, under thin-tailed, exponential and fat-tailed conditions. We find that even if our estimates show some bias and large mean squared error (MSE), we are able to estimate correctly the general trend of the curve - thin-tailed or fat-tailed - and the effective density. Moreover, the mean distance of dispersal can be correctly estimated with low bias and MSE, even if another family of dispersal curve is used for the estimation. Finally, we consider three case studies based on forest tree species. We find that dispersal is fat-tailed in all cases, and that the effective density estimated by our model is below the measured density in two of the cases. This latter result may reflect the difficulty of estimating two parameters, or it may be a biological consequence of variance in reproductive success of males in the population. Both the simulated and empirical findings demonstrate the strong potential of TWOGENER for evaluating the shape of the dispersal curve and the effective density of the population (d(e)).

Ecological determinants of genetic diversity in an expanding population of the shrub Myrica cerifera

The ecological mechanisms that contribute to the acquisition of genetic diversity in an expanding population of the shrub, Myrica cerifera, on an island habitat were investigated. Genealogical reconstruction was used to assess the contribution of early reproductive colonists to subsequent recruitment. In addition, through determination of parentage, the source of recruiting seedlings was identified and the contribution of seed and pollen dispersal into the colonizing sites was inferred. The relative contribution of different sources of gene flow was determined directly and an investigation was made into how variability in breeding patterns may have contributed to observed levels of genetic variability. It was expected that early colonists that could flower would contribute to subsequent recruiting cohorts, and that the limited number of such early reproductive colonists would lead to variance in mating success, inbreeding, or bottlenecks which could reduce genetic diversity and increase genetic differentiation among subsequent recruiting cohorts. Analyses of parentage (with paternity exclusion probability > 95%) for all recruiting plants demonstrated that in fact, there was little contribution by the early reproductive colonists to subsequent cohorts, and that immigration from outside the study sites in the form of seed dispersal accounted for over 94% of the recruitment in the study plots, with pollen dispersal accounting for less than 3% gene flow. No genetic bottleneck or evidence of reproductive skew in the recruiting cohorts were found, suggesting that propagule dispersal was from many source individuals in other established populations.