Generation time estimated to be 25-30 years in Cliostomum cossugatum (Ach.) Fr.

• Knowledge of spore to spore generation time is extremely important for several reasons. As it is the shortest generation time, it indicates the maximum nucleotide substitution rate over time and provides a rate limit for the evolution of a species. In population genetics most calculations involving time use ‘generations’ as the unit of measurement and in order to convert these ‘generations’ into ‘years’, knowledge of generation time is needed but rarely available. Knowledge of generation time may also be essential for conservation purposes and assessments of migration history. This knowledge also makes it possible to estimate both the age of a population and also to determine to what extent a population represents the genetic diversity of a species (Rosenberg & Nordborg 2002). In this paper we present a method for assessing generation length for lichens using Cliostomum corrugatum (Ach.) Fr. as an example. This lichen was selected for investigation because it is restricted to forests with long temporal continuity (Lättman et al. 2009) and information on generation time is essential to estimate the rate of dispersal at the landscape level.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

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Biology

Biologi

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