Genetic variation for tolerance to copper and zinc within and among populations of the moss, Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.

Abstract

Ten individuals from each of lour populations of the moss, Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., were grown on two copper and two zinc treatments and a control in order to assess tolerance to these metals. Tolerances of two life‐history stages (protonemal growth and stem production) showed significant variation among populations, and among individuals within all populations. Heritabilities for tolerance were high within three populations, but were close to zero within a population that originated on a copper mine. Phenotypic correlations among growth responses to the five experimental treatments were similar in the four populations, but this reflected a greater similarity among the environmental correlations than among the genotypic correlations. There was evidence of positive genetic correlations between growth on control medium and growth on media enriched with copper or zinc. This is in contrast to data from flowering plants and fungi, and raises the question of why tolerant individuals are restricted to contaminated sites in nature. Copyright © 1988, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved