title: Selfing and inbreeding depression in seeds and seedlings of Neobalanocarpus heimii (Dipterocarpaceae).
abstract: We evaluated the degree of selfing and inbreeding depression at the seed and seedling stages of a threatened tropical canopy tree, Neobalanocarpus heimii, using microsatellite markers. Selection resulted in an overall decrease in the level of surviving selfed progeny from seeds to established seedlings, indicating inbreeding depression during seedling establishment. Mean seed mass of selfed progeny was lower than that of outcrossed progeny. Since the smaller seeds suffered a fitness disadvantage at germination in N. heimii, the reduced seed mass of selfed progeny would be one of the determinants of the observed inbreeding depression during seedling establishment. High selfing rates in some mother trees could be attributed to low local densities of reproductive individuals, thus maintenance of a sufficiently high density of mature N. heimii should facilitate regeneration and conservation of the species.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konuma
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seiwa
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Soon Leong
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Norwati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsumura
mesh_terms: D020448:Ericales / Q000235:genetics*; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics*; D007178:Inbreeding; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics*