CONE COLOR POLYMORPHISM ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATION IN WHITE FIR, ABIES CONCOLOR, IN SOUTHERN COLORADO
1980; Wiley; Volume: 67; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07735.x
ISSN1537-2197
AutoresKareen B. Sturgeon, Jeffry B. Mitton,
Tópico(s)Plant and animal studies
ResumoMorphological variation in color of female cones in white fir, Abies concolor , is postulated to have adaptive value. The purple variant is only found in one part of the range of white fir where it grows at high elevations. In addition, the frequency of purple cones increases with increasing elevation, suggesting a thermoregulatory function for the purple variant in the cold habitats found at high elevations. Temperature measurements support this hypothesis: purple cones attain higher internal temperatures than do green cones of comparable size. Cone diameter may, in fact, be correlated with cone color but definitive evidence is lacking. Alternative hypotheses are offered which may also be important in maintaining the presence of the purple variant at high elevations. It is suggested that other characters associated with purple cones may place them at a competitive disadvantage at lower elevations.
Referência(s)