|
Ecophysiology of rare
plants: to understand the ecology and
physiology of rare, native plants to select for use in managed and natural
landscapes.
-
Many species become
rare in nature before their biological, ecological, and horticultural
attributes are understood. Reduced reproductive success and an
inability to tolerate environmental stress are two key factors that
limit the occurrence of rare taxa in natural and managed landscapes.
Besides possible differences in the reproductive potential, indigenous
plants from disjunct populations may tolerate differently many
environmental stresses such as low temperature, shade, salt, flood, or
drought. Understanding the ecotypic or provenance differences is
important when selecting plants for horticultural and conservation use.
-
North American terrestrial
orchids and their mycobionts
Developing embryos and roots of orchidaceous
plants have a unique relationship with fungi. During germination,
embryos of terrestrial orchids derive nutrition from mycobionts by
actively digesting pelotons (hyphal coils). Most often, the
orchid-fungus relationship is maintained throughout the life cycle of
the plant. When grown symbiotically, cultured seedlings include their
fungal partners and are more suitable for conservation applications.
Orchids and mycobionts from disjunct
populations may exhibit genetic differences, which may lead to
differences in reproductive efficiency of plants and recruitment of new
plants.
[Sharma]
|
