Phenotypic and genetic variation in marsh plants Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/steven-pennings/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7125 Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

gcelter@uga.edu https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/ Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/steven-pennings/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7125 Principal investigator Dr. James L. Hamrick University of Georgia

Department of Genetics University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

Co-investigator Dr. Lisa A. Donovan University of Georgia

Botany Department University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

donovan@plantbio.uga.edu http://www.plantbio.uga.edu/~donovan/donovan.html Co-investigator Dr. Rodney Mauricio University of Georgia

Department of Genetics University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

Co-investigator Dr. Steven J. Franks University of Georgia

Department of Plant Biology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

Co-investigator Dr. Christina L. Richards University of South Florida

Department of Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa Florida 33620 USA

clr@usf.edu http://biology.usf.edu/ib/faculty/crichards/ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7848-5165 Graduate research assistant 2026

C. Richards (Ph.D. student) and L. Donovan (UGA) conducted field surveys of plant phenotypes, environmental parameters and allozyme patterns as well as a greenhouse study and a reciprocal transplant study to determine what strategies plants use to live across the steep environmental gradients of the salt marsh. They found that 12 plant species express a broad range of phenotypes that are correlated with environmental factors in Sapelo Island salt marshes. Allozyme markers revealed that clone size in Borrichia frutescens and Spartina alterniflora is not as large as anticipated. Both the greenhouse and field reciprocal transplant studies of Borrichia frutescens showed evidence of phenotypic plasticity for all traits measured.

Question 2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients? (more information)

LTER NSF Georgia Sapelo Island GCE Borrichia frutescens Spartina alterniflora allozyme markers phenotype salt marsh Overall geographic extent of the research project -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 1994-01-01 2004-12-31

National Science Foundation grant number OCE-9982133 and Georgia Sea Grant

estuary marsh complex Central Georgia Coast - Central Georgia coastal region from the South Newport River (northern extent) to the Satilla River (southern extent), and from the outer banks of the barrier islands (eastern extent) to approximately 35km inland (western extent) -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 Richards, C.L., Pennings, S.C. and Donovan, L.A. 2005. Habitat range and phenotypic variation in salt marsh plants. Plant Ecology. 176:263-273. Pennings, S.C. and Silliman, B.R. 2005. Linking biogeography and community ecology: latitudinal variation in plant-herbivore interaction strength. Ecology. 86:2310-2319. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/04-1022 Richards, C.L., Donovan, L.A. and Mauricio, R. 2005. Presentation: Selection, but no local adaptation of plant physiological traits in contrasting salt marsh environments. ERF 2005 - The 18th Biennial Conference of the Estuarine Research Federation, October 16-21, 2005, Norfolk, Virginia. Richards, C.L., Hamrick, J.L., Donovan, L.A. and Mauricio, R. 2004. Unexpectedly high clonal diversity of two salt marsh perennials across a severe environmental gradient. Ecology Letters. 2004(7):1155-1162. Franks, S.J., Richards, C.L., Gonzales, E., Cousins, J.C. and Hamrick, J.L. 2004. Multi-Scale Genetic Analysis of Uniola Paniculata (Poaceae): A Coastal Species with a Linear, Fragmented Distribution. American Journal of Botany. 91:1345-1351. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.91.9.1345 Callaway, R.M., Pennings, S.C. and Richards, C.L. 2003. Phenotypic plasticity and interactions among plants. Ecology. 84(5):1115-1128. Richards, C.L., Donovan, L.A., Mauricio, R. and Hamrick, J.L. 2003. Presentation: Patterns of genetic diversity along a severe environmental gradient in a salt marsh perennial. Estuarine Research Federation 2003 Conference Abstracts. Seattle, WA. Richards, C.L., Donovan, L.A., Mauricio, R. and Hamrick, J.L. 2003. Presentation: Genetic diversity and clonal structure of the salt marsh perennial Borrichia frutescens. Ecological Society of America 2003 Annual Meeting Abstracts. Savannah, GA. Richards, C.L., Donovan, L.A., Mauricio, R. and Hamrick, J.L. 2003. Poster: Patterns of genetic diversity along a severe environmental gradient in a salt marsh perennia. National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) 2003 annual meeting. Charleston, SC. Hamrick, J.L., Richards, C.L., Donovan, L.A. and Mauricio, R. 2003. Presentation: Genetic diversity and clonal structure of the salt marsh perennial Borrichia frutescens. Society for the Study of Evolution 2003 annual meeting. Chico, CA. Richards, C.L., Pennings, S.C. and Donovan, L.A. 2002. Poster: Community-wide patterns of phenotypic variation in salt marsh plants. 2002 National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Annual Meeting. Franks, S.J., Richards, C.L., Gonzales, E., Cousins, J.E. and Hamrick, J.L. 2002. Presentation: Multi-scale genetic analysis of Uniola paniculata L.: a coastal species with a fragmented, linear distribution. American Society of Naturalists National Meeting. Banff, Canada. Franks, S.J., Jones, F.A., Johnston, J.A., Bouck, A.C., Comita, L.S., Hardesty, B.D., Richards, C.L., Rosenthal, D.R. and West, J.B. 2001. Presentation: What is Molecular Ecology?. Annual meeting for the Society for the Study of Evolution, 2001. Ecological genetics. Society for the Study of Evolution, Knoxville, Tennessee. Richards, C.L. 2001. Presentation: Conservation genetics of three salt marsh perennials. Annual Meeting 2001 Garden Club of America. Garden Club of America, Orlando, Florida. Richards, C.L., White, S.N., Mcguire, M.A., Franks, S.J. and Donovan, L.A. 2001. Presentation: Evidence for local adaptation along a salinity gradient in a salt marsh perennial. ESA 2001. Ecological Society of America, Aug 01, 2001. Richards, C.L., Pennings, S.C. and Donovan, L.A. 2000. Presentation: Morphological variation in twelve salt marsh plant species on Sapelo Island, GA. ESA 2000. Ecological Society of America, Aug 01, 2000.