Life Sciences Commons^™

Quantitative-Genetic Variation In Morphological And Physiological Traits Within A Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Population, Megan K. Kanaga, Ronald J. Ryel, Karen E. Mock, Michael E. Pfrender

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Genetic diversity within populations is an important component of adaptive evolution, and recent research has demonstrated that genetic variation within plant populations can have important ecological effects. In this study, we investigate quantitative-genetic variation in several traits within a quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) population. A common garden experiment was planted with replicates of 13 aspen genotypes collected from wet and dry sites within a population in southern Utah, USA. Ten growth, leaf, physiological, and structural traits were measured. There were significant, heritable phenotypic differences among genotypes in every measured trait and differences in 4 of the 10 traits among …