Project Detail

How does genetic variation change during biological invasion? A study of Pinus strobus

Name:	How does genetic variation change during biological invasion? A study of Pinus strobus
Researchers:	Mandák Bohumil (researcher)
Provider:	GA AV ČR
Number:	IAA600050711
Realization from:	2007
Realization to:	2009
Summary:	The proposed project is focused on a basic genetic dilemma in invasion biology. That is, how bottlenecked populations that typically have low genetic diversity, low evolutionary potential and perhaps low reproductive fitness can become invasive. Our inability to test the process of invasion step by step is as a result of a lack of originally introduced individuals that had started the invasion many years previously. However, there is one exception – the trees. From that reason we would like to use North American Pinus strobus for population genetic studies. In principal, this project is aimed to (i) test the differences in population genetic composition between native and introduced populations, (ii) compare genetic diversity among invasive and non-invasive populations within the Czech Republic and (iii) determine how the particular genetic diversity parameters vary in different life history stages within several areas where the species is highly invasive.