1. NSCI 487 (Ecological Internship)
Mentor: Ruth Hufbauer
Working on the reproductive ecology of Verbascum thapsus (Common Mullein) in its native and introduced range
By: Tanner Bonham

2. Introduction Verbascum thapsus (Common Mullein)
Biology
Biennial
Mature plants grow up to 7 feet
Flower: many in a dense spike
(opens for 24hrs)
Native Range
Dry, stony hillsides, wasteland and open woodland
Europe, Africa and West/Central Asia

3. Background Introduction Invasive U.S. mid-1700’s by Puritans
Used as a fish poison in Virginia
Thought to be used as a medicinal herb
Coughs
Diarrhea
Invasive
Numerous seeds (100, ,000) per plant
Long dominant period (up to 100 years?)
Noxious “C” listed in Colorado

4. Introduced Range in U.S.

5. Common Mullein Along the Front Range
Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed observations. Not all populations have been documented, only native and naturalized populations are mapped.

6. Ecological Impact Threatens natural meadows and forest openings
Easily adaptable to these areas
Grows more vigorous then native plants
Covers large area (big biomass)
Fire species
Takes over after a fire
Numerous seeds that may lay dominant for years
Very resilient species
Very hard to eradicate!

7. Project
Hypothesis #1
Native populations are set in a specific ecological niche and are locally adapted.
performance decrease as distance increases when individuals from different populations are crossed.
Increased distance between populations will cause offspring to have a lower fitness than the progeny from crosses with individuals in the same population
outbreeding depression in native range?

8. Procedure: distance between outcrossing populations related to progeny performance
6:00am remove stamen from Receptor plant
To ensure it wont self-pollinate
12:00pm remove stamen off Donor plant and pollinate Receptor plant
Cover flower and wait for seeds to grow
Test in native and introduced range
Evaluate results

9. "Population Admixture, Biological Invasions and the Balance between Local Adaptation and Inbreeding Depression."
S. Latifolia (broadleaf arrowhead, duck potato or Indian potato)
Verhoeven, Koen J.F., Mirka Macel, Lorne M. Wolfe, and Arjen Biere.

10. Project (contd.) Hypothesis #2 With respect to inbreeding:
Introductions select for the ability to self-pollinate when mates are limited in small founding populations.
Self-pollination in the introduced range will yield a higher performance than self-pollination in the native range.
Inbreeding depression in native population?

11. Procedure: self-pollination succession in its native and introduced range
No-manipulation flower
Cover flower so it must self-pollinate
Outcross within its population
Genetically different
Measure difference between self-pollinated and outcrossed plants
Compare data between native and introduced range

12. Theoretical Model Compare between native and introduced range
# Of Seeds
Compare between native and introduced range
Difference in #seeds of self and outcrossed plants

13. My Role Dig plants out of mulch and snow Move into greenhouse
Vernalization
Move into greenhouse
Initiate flowering

14. My Role (contd.) Arrange plants Water/Fertilize Facilitate growth
spatially & numerically
Water/Fertilize
Facilitate growth

15. Coming to an End Research continues… What I learned
Continue procedures
Acquire data
Discuses results
Theorize
What I learned
Lab work
Applied Research
Experiment Procedures
Invasions
Reproductive ecology

16. Works Cited
Brickell, C. and J.D. Zuk The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. DK Publishing, Inc., NY.
ntain_Preserve
Rambuda TD, Johnson SD (2004) Breeding systems of invasive alien plants in South Africa: does Baker’s rule apply? Diversity and Distributions, 10, 409–416.
Eckert CG, Samis KE, Dart S (2006) Reproductive assurance and the evolution of uniparental reproduction in flowering plants. In: Ecology and Evolution of Flowers (eds Harder LD, Barrett SCH), pp. 183–203. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Keller, L. F. & Waller, D. M Inbreeding effects in wild populations. Trends Ecol. Evol. 17, 230–241. (doi: /S (02) )
Verhoeven, Koen J.F., Mirka Macel, Lorne M. Wolfe, and Arjen Biere. "Population Admixture, Biological Invasions and the Balance between Local Adaptation and Inbreeding Depression." Proceedings of The Royal Society (2010). Print.
Remaley, Tom. "FACT SHEET: COMMON MULLEIN." Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group, 20 May Web. 26 Apr