IGN 16-8 - Understanding growth-survivorship tradeoffs in restoration

Wednesday, August 9, 2017
C123, Oregon Convention Center
Susanne Schwinning, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, Nathan A Custer, Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX and Lesley A. DeFalco, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV
Mortality among recruits of desert perennials is extremely high until a relatively ‘safe’ size is reached. Restoration aims to bypass the most vulnerable stage by outplanting greenhouse-reared saplings. If seedling development is subject to a growth-survivorship tradeoff, this practice may create a selection bias for faster-growing genotypes in multiple common-garden experiments. While not necessarily detrimental for restoration success, this selection should have consequences for long-term population dynamics.