title: Modelling the establishment and spread of autotetraploid plants in a spatially heterogeneous environment.
abstract: The establishment and spread of autotetraploids from an original diploid population in a heterogeneous environment were studied using a stochastic simulation model. Specifically, we investigated the effects of heterogeneous habitats and nonrandom pollen/seed dispersal on the critical value (micro) of unreduced 2n gamete production necessary for the establishment of autotetraploids as predicted by deterministic models. Introduction of a heterogeneous environment with random pollen/seed dispersal had little effect on the micro value. In contrast, incorporating nonrandom pollen/seed dispersal into a homogeneous environment considerably reduced the micro value. Incorporating both heterogeneous habitats and nonrandom pollen/seed dispersal may lead either to an increase or to a decrease in the micro value compared to that with random dispersal, indicating that the two factors interact in a complex way.
authors.affiliation: Horticulture Research International, East Malling, West Malling, Kent, UK.
authors.forename: B-H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: X-M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ridout
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003710:Demography; D004777:Environment; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008957:Models, Genetic; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D011003:Ploidies; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology