| Abstract | The maintenance of genetic diversity has important consequences for the survival of plant populations. Because plants are sessile, the distance between plants is often inversely correlated with relatedness. Therefore, the distance between pollen-donor and recipient can determine the level of inbreeding or outbreeding. Both pollen-donor distance and nutrient availability can affect reproductive success in populations of flowering plants. Populations of the carnivorous plant Sarracenia alata have dwindled and become extremely fragmented due to human development and agriculture. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pollen-donor distance and prey capture on reproductive success in S. alata. We hand-pollinated flowers with pollen from varying distances [0 m (self-pollinated) and 35, 60, 90, 125, and 190 m], and we prevented prey capture in half of our study plants. We measured seed production and germination to estimate reproductive success. Pollen-donors from greater distances sired a greater number of seeds but pollen-donor distance did not affect germinability. There was no effect of prey capture alone nor an interaction of pollen-donor and prey capture on seed production or germination. More research is needed to understand nutrient allocation for reproduction over multiple years and natural variance in prey capture which might affect reproductive output in subsequent seasons. |
