Spatial Pattern and Gene Flow Distances in Sphagnum subtile

Abstract

The spatial pattern of the gametophores, gamete dispersal, and spore dispersal distances were examined for a single colony of Sphagnum subtile, a dioicous species. Gamete dispersal distances are short, with a mean of 2.2 cm, and highly leptokurtic in distribution. The female to male ratio is 1:1.5. Average shoot density is 4.4 per cm2. Neighborhood size, based on minimum gamete dispersal distance, includes 37.9 individuals with a neighborhood area of 0.00086 m2. Spore dispersal is limited to the immediate vicinity, with no spores found beyond 0.75 m from the edge of the colony. Neighborhood size, based on both gamete and spore dispersal distances, includes 7,350.4 individuals with a neighborhood area of 0.17 m2. The results suggest that gene flow is highly restricted in Sphagnum subtile.