Abstract
To clarify the genetic basis of plant adaptation is a fundamental problem of evolutionary biology and plant breeding, but also of greatest importance for the development of sound strategies for the maintenance of biodiversity. In collaboration with population and molecular geneticists, I wish to set an example for how field experiments can be combined with new molecular genetic techniques to examine the functional and adaptive significance of genetic variation within and among natural plant populations. The overall aims are to determine the genetic basis of adaptive characters and to clarify the relative importance of selection, genetic drift and gene flow for the genetic structure of fragmented plant populations. In one subproject, we will examine the genetic basis and adaptive significance of variation in trichome production, a character known to reduce damage from insect herbivores. In a second subproject, we will analyze the genetic basis and adaptive significance of variation in flowering time and differentiation between lowland and alpine populations, and we will examine to what extent this differentiation can be related to differences in climate and biotic interactions. Our study system is Arabidopsis lyrata (Brassicaceae), an outcrossing close relative of A. thaliana.
Sweden