title: Female and male fitness consequences of clonal growth in a dwarf bamboo population with a high degree of clonal intermingling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although many studies have reported that clonal growth interferes with sexual reproduction as a result of geitonogamous self-pollination and inbreeding depression, the mating costs of clonal growth are expected to be reduced when genets are spatially intermingled with others. This study examined how clonal growth affects both female and male reproductive success by studying a population of a mass-flowering plant, Sasa veitchii var. hirsuta, with a high degree of clonal intermingling.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 10 × 10 m plot, genets were discriminated based on the multilocus genotypes of 11 nuclear microsatellite loci. The relationships between genet size and the components of reproductive success were then investigated. Male siring success and female and male selfing rates were assessed using paternity analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 111 genets were spatially well intermingled with others. In contrast to previous studies with species forming distinct monoclonal patches, seed production linearly increased with genet size. While male siring success was a decelerating function of genet size, selfing rates were relatively low and not related to genet size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results, in conjunction with previous studies, emphasize the role of the spatial arrangement of genets on both the quantity and quality of offpsring, and suggest that an intermingled distribution of genets can reduce the mating costs of clonal growth and enhance overall fitness, particularly female fitness.
authors.affiliation: Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 010-0195, Japan matsuo-a@akita-pu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomimatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun-Ichirou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Morioka 020-0123, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.affiliation: Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioresource Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 010-0195, Japan.
authors.forename: Akifumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.affiliation: Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suyama
mesh_terms: D040342:Genetic Structures; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D007178:Inbreeding; D006109:Poaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D054817:Pollination; D012098:Reproduction; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Genet size; Sasa veitchii var. hirsuta; clonal growth; inbreeding depression; reproductive success; selfing; spatial genetic structure