| Abstract Detail
Ecophysiology Bibee, Katherine [1], Shishido, Katie [1], Hathaway, Ron [1], Heschel, Shane [1]. Population differentiation in Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae) across the range limits. Occupying a large geographic range requires a plant species to survive in a variety of environments. Impatiens capensis, an herbaceous annual, prefers moist environments and is easily susceptible to drought. Yet I. capensis grows from the east coast of North America to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Impatiens growing at the western range limit must endure a much different environment than their eastern relatives. Studies have compared I. capensis within small regions, but studies comparing populations across the entire geographic range are lacking. This experiment addresses the question of how plants deal with stress at the range limits. Specifically how has I. capensis adapted morphologically, physiologically, and phenologically to the three different climates in Colorado, Illinois, and Rhode Island? How will the regional differences in moisture affect each population? This experiment’s results suggest that each population has evolved along a different evolutionary axis; each population exhibits a different strategy for adapting to stress in response to drought conditions. Rhode Island I. capensis have evolved on a time axis and avoid stress with an accelerated phenology. Illinois I. capensis have evolved on a physiological axis and exhibit a drought tolerance strategy. Colorado I. capensis have evolved on a morphological axis and appear relatively indifferent to drought. Broader Impacts:
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1 - Colorado College, Biology, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA
Keywords:
drought stress
plant performance.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Hall A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PEP003
Abstract ID:428 |
