Breeding system and inbreeding depression in a translocated population of the endangered plant Dianthus morisianus (Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract

Know the breeding system of endemic plants is important to design conservation strategies. Translocations are actions to improve the survival prospects of the species, but nowadays there are only a few studies that analyse their success and make a comparison between translocation and the natural populations. Dianthus morisianus is a threatened narrow endemic plant species growing on sand dunes in SW Sardinia (Italy). The objective of this study was to assess the breeding system, the presence of inbreeding depression and pollen limitation, as well as the success of the plant translocation. All these results were compared with those from the single natural population. The breeding system was tested through five pollination treatments and the reproductive success was analysed by the fruit set, seed set, seed weight, germination and mortality rate. The translocated population behaved like the natural one on fruit and seed formation. Autonomous self-pollination was lower than the other treatments regarding fruit set and seed/ovule ratio in the two studied populations. The species is self-compatible and presents partial self-fertility. The selfing rate was higher in the translocated population and the inbreeding depression presented low values for the natural population, while the translocated population presented negative values. Neither of the populations suffered pollen limitation. The species did not present reproductive problems and it is pollinator dependent. Moreover, the translocated population demonstrated high success after five years, as an increase of the population area and new recruited plants was observed; the offspring were able to flower, fruiting and reproduce. This translocation success increases the survival prospects of the species.

Long‐term progression of inbreeding depression in a Mediterranean ornithophilous shrub

“…As in A. thraskii, the high number of flowers in anthesis at any given time per individual, as well as the behavior of pollinators, facilitates geitonogamy in A. foetida; because individuals are so close to each other, with intermixed canopies, inbreeding is increased. In addition, we note that a small population size is usually correlated with high values of ID (Nebot et al, 2020;but see Chai et al, 2019).…”

Pollination effectiveness of specialist and opportunistic nectar feeders influenced by invasive alien ants in the Seychelles

“…Indeed, PE values in self-compatible S.wrightii, may be elevated through pollinator-mediated self-pollination. Quantifying this effect and assessing the potential consequences of inbreeding depression, however, would require further experiments (Nebot et al, 2020).…”

The Endemic Vascular Flora of Sardinia: A Dynamic Checklist with an Overview of Biogeography and Conservation Status

“…The taxa belonging to this group mainly occur in rupestrian habitats, on rocky and sandy grasslands, garigues, and mesic meadows; several of them are affined to Sicilian endemic Dianthus taxa [ 76 ]. Even though the evolutionary processes within the group are still debated [ 77 ], these were also probably forced by the Messinian salinity crisis and by their characteristic inbreeding depression syndrome and unusual summer-flowering phenology [ 78 , 79 ]. Similar hypotheses were made for some of the rest of Caryophyllaceae such as taxa belonging to the Silene mollissima Pers.…”