What is the role of selective abortion in maintaining high levels of cross fertilization in Epidendrum secundum (Orchidaceae)?

• Grant number: 18/01738-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Pinheiro
• Grantee: Vinícius Filipi Savietto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plant populations with high autogamy rates can show loss of genetic variability caused by the process of inbreeding depression. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an evolutionary strategy that could minimize the probability of inbreeding depression in a population. However, in the context of small populations or with fluctuation in pollinator's populations, SI may increase extinction risk. We can find both allogamy and autogamy in the same population and, in these situations, it is common that they present strategies that promote cross-fertilization. A possible way to control the offspring that plants can have is the selective abortion of their fruits and seeds, although this mechanism is still little studied in Angiosperms. The aim of this project is to investigate the occurrence of this phenomenon in the species Epidendrum secundum (Orchidaceae). To this end, artificial pollination experiments will be performed in plants in culture, in order to investigate the difference in the maturation and the potential abortion of fruits from cross-pollination and self-pollination, analyzing the mean production of fruits and the viability of embryos of each treatment. Thus, it is possible to test the hypotheses that fruits from cross-pollination would be sustained to the detriment of fruits from self-pollination, which would be aborted. (AU)