Temporal variation in allele frequencies in the pollen pool of eucalyptus rhodantha

Abstract

Investigation of the mallee Eucalyptus rhodantha which has an irregular, protracted flowering period demonstrated that individual plants differ in fecundity and phenology and that allele frequencies in the pollen pool change during the flowering season. Allele frequencies of the pollen pool were estimated by several methods which either assumed temporal homogeneity or took flowering phenology into account. These allele frequencies were compared for their abilities to estimate t. The estimates of t based on allele frequencies which took phenology into account were not consistently higher or better than those that did not at any of the four loci surveyed. Changes in the allele frequencies of the pollen pool during the flowering season may contribute to variation between some single-locus estimates of t in E. rhodantha which assume temporal homogeneity, but it was concluded that they are not the major cause of bias. © 1990, The Genetical Society of Great Britain.