Intra-specific variation exists in the asexual reproductive success of the peat moss genus Sphagnum

Abstract

Both sexual and asexual reproduction occur in plants, with each mode having certain benefits and detriments to the fitness of the organism. Occasionally, asexual reproduction seems to be so dominant within a species that most physical individuals of that species are genetically identical. In less extreme cases, the majority of physical individuals may be identical, with other genetic individuals found less commonly in the population. Within the bryophytes, asexuality is especially common, because of specialized easily detachable structures that regenerate into new plants when fragmented, protonemal gemmae, and the ability for monoicous mosses to reproduce via intragametophytic selfing. Within bryophytes, the peatmosses, or Sphagnum clade, do not have gemmae and lack as many kinds of specialized detachable structures, but asexuality seems very common still. I hypothesized that in eight species of the Sphagnum genus studied herein, within-species genets differed in their ability to asexually reproduce following fragmentation, that species and genets would exhibit statistically significant differences in asexual reproduction as a function of nutrient treatment, and that within-species genets had variable responses to nutrient treatment. My results indicated that the first hypothesis was supported but more evidence is needed to support or reject the latter hypotheses. Restoration ecologists involved in peatland restoration should consider intraspecific genet variation in their approaches to peatland restoration in order to be as efficient and economical as possible, and speciation within currently established Sphagnum species is a plausible outcome in the future because of variation in asexual reproduction.