Strategies of adaptation to heavy metal pollution in Deschampsia caespitosa and Lychnis flos-cuculi: Analysis based on dose-response relationship

Genetic variation and selfing rate in Lychnis flos‐cuculi along an industrial pollution gradient

“…This conclusion corresponds to the results obtained for T. caerulescens (see Introduction) (Dubois et al ., ) and contradicts the hypothesis that selection for more self‐fertile individuals in polluted habitats may promote allele fixation and isolation from nontolerant relatives (Antonovics et al ., ). Moreover, the frequencies of pollinator visits to L. flos‐cuculi flowers in polluted areas exceed the UP level, and other herbaceous species ( Geranium sylvaticum , Polygonum bistorta , Galium boreale , Potentilla erecta , Alhemilla sp., Geum rivale , Ranunculus spp., Stellaria spp., Myosotis arvensis , Bupleurum longifolium ) are abundant in the UP and MP areas (Dulya et al ., ), where they bloom simultaneously with L. flos‐cuculi . Therefore, interspecific competition for pollinators in these areas should theoretically be higher than that in the HP area, where L. flos‐cuculi is the sole pollinator attractor.…”

“…comm.). Today it is characterized by the highest L. flos‐cuculi density among the studied populations (Dulya et al ., ) (Table ).…”

“…L. flos‐cuculi is one of a few species that inhabit either unpolluted territory (UP; 30 km west of the pollution source) or moderately (MP; 4 km) and heavily polluted (HP; 1 km) areas. The extended period of emission and high toxic load in the polluted area caused differentiation in the L. flos‐cuculi populations of interest in terms of leaf morphology (individuals from the HP area have shorter, roundish, fleshy leaves compared with MP and UP individuals; Dulya & Mikryukov, ) and metal tolerance (copper EC 10 , EC 50 and EC 90 are 2–3 times higher for MP and HP populations compared with UP; Dulya et al ., ).…”