Digital Commons Network^™

Incidence, Size And Spatial Structure Of Clones In Second-Growth Stands Of Coast Redwood, Sequoia Sempervirens (Cupressaceae), Vladimir Douhovnikoff, Adelaide M. Cheng, Richard S. Dodd

Biology Faculty Publications

The ecology and evolutionary potential of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is significantly influenced by the important role clonal spread plays in its reproduction and site persistence. In nine second-growth stands, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) were used to identify redwood clonal architecture. Clones (multistem genets) dominated sites by representing an average of 70% of stems measured, ranging in size from two to 20 stems. As a result, a relatively small number of genets can monopolize a disproportionate amount of site resources, are more likely to persist over time, and have greater on-site genetic representation. Clones were not limited to fairy-ring …