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H1. Land use intensity together with plant life history affects within-population genetic diversity in ecologically relevant, quantitative traits.

H2. Land use intensity influences both direction and strength of phenotypic selection in plant populations.

H3. Populations of grassland plants are locally adapted to land use intensity.


In summer 2008, seeds of nine grassland species were collected from a large range of sites (the experimental plots). To quantify quantitative-genetic variation between and within populations, we grow offspring of each population under the same conditions in a common garden. We will measure plant traits that are considered to be relevant in the context of land-use intensity, regarding phenology, morphology, plant growth, and reproduction. Overall, more than 5,000 plant individuals will be grown in the common garden. Statistical analyses will allow estimating heritability (h²) as well as population differentiation (QST) of these traits, and correlation analyses with land-use parameters will give valuable insights into the effect of land-use on microevolution within plant species. Moreover, we will compare genetic variation within species with species diversity of the communities to test whether different levels of diversity respond similarly to land use.
Finally, we will link our data on population differentiation in the traits measured with data from neutral markers (Project GenLink) to assess the relative importance of local adaptation and genetic drift for population divergences.


Doc
Durch Landnutzung und ihre Intensivierung verändert der Mensch die Umwelt
Völler E., Bossdorf O., Prati D., Auge H. (2017): Evolutionary responses to land use in eight common grassland plants. Journal of Ecology 105 (5), 1290–1297. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.12746
More information:  doi.org
Doc
Landnutzung verursacht genetische Differenzierung der Weichen Trespe
Völler E., Bossdorf O., Auge H., Prati D. (2013): Land use causes genetic differentiation of life-history traits in Bromus hordeaceus. Global Change Biology 19 (3), 892–899. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12087
More information:  doi.org
Doc
The evolutionary impact of land use: quantitative genetic differentiation in common grassland plants
Völler E. (2012): The evolutionary impact of land use: quantitative genetic differentiation in common grassland plants. Dissertation, University Bern
Doc
Völler E., Auge H., Prati D., Fischer M., Hemp A., Bossdorf O. (2012): Geographical and land-use effects on seed-mass variation in common grassland plants. Basic and Applied Ecology 13 (5), 395–404. doi: 10.1016/j.baae.2012.06.006
More information:  doi.org
Doc
Der Beffall des Rot-Schwingels (Festuca rubra) durch den Endophyten Epichloë festucae und dessen Frequenz in Abhängigkeit der Landnutzung
Schossleitner T. (2011): Der Beffall des Rot-Schwingels (Festuca rubra) durch den Endophyten Epichloë festucae und dessen Frequenz in Abhängigkeit der Landnutzung. Thesis, Humboldt-Universität Berlin

Scientific assistants

Dr. Harald Auge
Alumni
Dr. Harald Auge
Prof. Dr. Oliver Bossdorf
Project manager
Prof. Dr. Oliver Bossdorf
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Dr. Daniel Prati
Project manager
Dr. Daniel Prati
Universität Bern
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