What are edaphic effects?

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What are edaphic effects?

• Edaphic effects are soil characteristics that
  modify growth and development of plant species
• Organic matter
• Inorganic minerals
• Heavy metals
• Water holding capacity
• Soil salinity

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What is a narrow endemic?

• Narrow endemic taxa are species that occur in one
  or a few small populations
• The genus Monarda contains 4 narrow endemics that
  grow in South Central Texas
• M. fruticulosa
• M. maritima
• M. stanfieldii
• M. viridissima

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Why study endemism?

• To understand biodiversity
• To understand speciation in plants
• To understand rarity as a means of facilitating
  conservation
• To understand edaphic effects on growth and
  development of plant species
• Endemics are often restricted by edaphic
  constraints

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Species Descriptions

• Monarda fruticulosa is a narrowly endemic species
  found only on the sand plains of central southern
  Texas
• Monarda punctata is a widespread species that is
  found across Southern, Central, and Eastern North
  America
• Phylogenetic analysis reveals that these two
  species are very closely related

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Monarda punctata and Monarda fruticulosagrowth
habits
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Monarda punctata distribution in the
USAhttp//plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.c
gi?symbolMOPUP
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Monarda fruticulosa range
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Hypotheses

• Monarda fruticulosa performs better on M.
  fruticulosa soils than on M. punctata soils in
  general
• Monarda fruticulosa performs better on native
  soil from its home site than on any other soil
• Monarda fruticulosa is a perennial species and as
  such will have a higher root/shoot ratio than M.
  punctata

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Collection

• In May of 2002, Dr. Alan Prather collected soil
  and mature inflorescences from native plants
  growing on the coastal plains of southern Texas
• 10 inflorescences each from 3 different
  populations of M. punctata
• 10 inflorescences each from 3 different
  populations of M. fruticulosa
• 60 inflorescences and 6 soil samples were brought
  back to MSU

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Materials and Methods

• A reciprocal soil trial was performed using three
  populations each of Monarda puncata and Monarda
  fruticulosa along with the soils upon which they
  were collected
• We selected 60 seeds from each population and
  planted them on each of the six soils upon which
  the plants grew

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Experimental Design
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Watering and Light Application

• Plants were put under 12 hours light and 12 hours
  dark in the lab
• Plants were top watered daily with distilled,
  deionized water
• Plants were bottom watered on the weekends to
  prevent the soil from drying out
• Lab temperature was approximately 72 degrees
  Fahrenheit

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Experimental conditions
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Monarda punctata Monarda fruticulosa
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Data Collection

• Germination date recorded for each seed
• If applicable, date of natural seedling death
  recorded
• 10 day intervals of growth recorded for each
  seedling
• At 40 days of growth, each seedling was harvested
  and weighed

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Data Analysis

• 4 measures of fitness were considered for data
  analysis
• Germination
• Height
• Survivorship
• Biomass

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Statistical Test for the Difference between Two
Population Proportions(Binomial Data)p
Probability of Successn sample size
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Germination Results

• M. punctata on M. fruticulosa Soil (n91)
  85.70
• M. punctata on M. punctata Soils (n90)
  70

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Survivorship Results

• M. fruticulosa on M. fruticulosa Soils (n58)
  82.80
• M. fruticulosa on M. punctata Soil (n58)
  61.80

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Height and Biomass Results

• There were no significant data supporting nor
  opposing our hypotheses
• M. fruticulosa did perform better on M.
  fruticulosa soil in terms of height
• M. punctata performed better overall in both
  respects

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Height ResultsM. Fruticulosa on M. Fruticulosa
Soils (n89) 27.49 mm M. Fruticulosa on M.
Punctata Soil (n90) 25.32 mm Analysis of
variance by Anova
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Biomass Results Analysis of variance by Anova
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Root to Shoot Ratio TestResults show that M.
punctata has a higher root/shoot ratio than M.
fruticulosa
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Overall Fitness Analysis
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Hypotheses Analysis

• Hypothesis supported
• Monarda fruticulosa performs better on M.
  fruticulosa soils than on M. punctata soils
• Supported significantly in terms of survivorship
• Trends support this hypothesis in terms of
  germination and height
• Monarda fruticulosa did germinate better on its
  own native soil than on soil from any other site,
  but not significantly
• Hypotheses not supported
• Monarda fruticulosa performs better on native
  soil from its home site than on any other soil
• Monarda fruticulosa is perennial and therefore
  will have a higher root/shoot ratio than Monarda
  punctata

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Conclusions

• Survivorship data supports the hypothesis that M.
  fruticulosa performs better on M. fruticulosa
  soil than on M. punctata soil.
• M. punctata is a better performer overall, out
  performing M. fruticulosa in terms of
  germination, survivorship, biomass, and
  root/shoot ratio
• This may have to do with the fact that M.
  punctata is an annual and genetically programmed
  to complete its lifecycle within a season,
  requiring rapid growth
• Whether or not the narrow endemic, Monarda
  fruticulosa, is edaphically constrained to its
  habitat, requires more research

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Future Research

• Soil analysis
• Organic matter
• Heavy metals
• Salts
• Water availability tests
• Large scale reciprocal trials in nature
• Survival to reproduction
• Hybrid studies

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Special Thanks To

• Jan Szyren
• Greenhouse and moral support
• Victor Bato
• Mapping
• Tao Sang
• Analytical balance
• Uwe Rossbach
• Computer lab use and consulting
• Deb Trock and Alan Fryday
• Moral support

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Dr. Alan Prather and graduate students Jessie
Keith, Orlando Alvarez, Rachel Williams, and Nate
Sammons