PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 7: Restoration, Resource Management, and Conservation.

Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.

Investigation of Allee effects in the endangered vine Ipomoea microdactyla (Convolvulaceae).

Geiger, John ^*,1, ¹ Florida International University, Miami, Fl., USA

ABSTRACT- Empirical evidence showing habitat fragmentation results in population genetic consequences for plants is rapidly accumulating. The effects have been variable, most often negative but also positive. Habitat fragmentation followed by reductions in population size generally leads to decreases in genetic variation, both allelic richness and heterozygosity of individuals. The danger to the fragmented populations may be reductions in the fitness of individuals and the immediate viability of these populations. The purpose of my study is to gauge the relationship between genetics and demography for a threatened species. Ipomoea microdactyla (Convolvulaceae) is a hermaphroditic perennial vine. In the United States, it occurs only in the pine rockland habitat of Miami-Dade county; it also occurs in Cuba and the Bahamas. This species is Florida state listed as endangered and has populations at ten conservation areas in the county, including Everglades National Park. Presently, there is less than 2 % of the original pine rockland habitat left, outside of the large habitat block protected in Everglades National Park. The goal of my project is to conduct a population viability analysis (PVA) to determine which factors are important for the continued persistence of this species in Florida. The first part of my research will be a breeding system experiment to gauge self-compatibility/self-incompatibility. This entails a protocol of hand pollinations at several levels: the individual, within population, and among populations. The second part of my project will be a multi-year demographic study at all ten conservation areas. The final component will be a genetic study to determine the spatial pattern of genetic variation and then incorporate this into the PVA. Preliminary results from the breeding system experiment suggest this species is self-incompatible and unable to set fruit without a pollen vector. This implies potentially severe Allee effects for these low-density populations.

Key words: endangered species, Allee effect, Ipomoea microdactyla, population viability analysis