Genetics and the physiological ecology of conifers
Natural selection acts on the diversity of genotypes, adapting populations to their specific environments and driving evolution in response to changes in climate. Genetically based differences in physiology and demography adapt species to alternate environments and produce, along with historical accidents, the present distribution of species. The sorting of conifer species by elevation is so marked that conifers help to define plant communities arranged in elevational bands in the Rocky Mountains. For these reasons, a genetic perspective is necessary to appreciate the evolution of ecophysiological patterns in the coniferous forests of the Rocky Mountains. The fascinating natural history and the economic importance of western conifers have stimulated numerous studies of their ecology, ecological genetics, and geographic variation. These studies yield some generalizations, and present some puzzling contradictions. This chapter focuses on the genetic variability associated with the physiological differences among genotypes in Rocky Mountain conifers. Variation among genotypes in survival, growth, and resistance to herbivores is used to illustrate genetically based differences in physiology, and to suggest the mechanistic studies needed to understand the relationships between genetic and physiological variation.
- Research Organization:
- Wyoming Univ., Laramie, WY (United States). Dept. of Botany
- OSTI ID:
- 62348
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/61253-1-Vol.1; CONF-9109550-Vol.1; TRN: 95:004108-0001
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Workshop on physiological ecology of coniferous forests, Laramie, WY (United States), 16-19 Sep 1991; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Ecophysiology of coniferous forests; Smith, W.K. [ed.] [Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States). Dept. of Botany]; Hinckley, T.M. [ed.] [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). Coll. of Forest Resources]; PB: 351 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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