Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-669899f699-8p65j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-30T07:42:06.843Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

9 - Gametophyte ecology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2009

By
Donald R. Farrar ,
Cynthia Dassler ,
James E. Watkins  and
Chanda Skelton
Edited by
Tom A. Ranker  and
Christopher H. Haufler
Donald R. Farrar
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Cynthia Dassler
Affiliation:
Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
James E. Watkins
Affiliation:
16 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Chanda Skelton
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Tom A. Ranker
Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Boulder
Christopher H. Haufler
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Get access

Summary

Introduction

Seed plant ecologists would find incredulous a proposal to study the ecology of a species that did not include critical examination of all aspects of recruitment in the field, relying instead on laboratory studies of seed germination, seedling growth and mortality, etc. Yet students of fern and lycophyte ecology are limited to data on gametophyte growth and reproduction collected almost exclusively from laboratory studies. They are expected to assume that these studies accurately reflect growth and reproduction in nature. Field investigations of gametophyte biology are minimal on such critical topics as: the role of morphological and physiological diversity among gametophyte taxa in habitat selection; the time frame and method of gametophyte development, maturation, sexual differentiation, and sporophyte production; the breeding systems and habitats effectively contributing new recruits to sporophyte populations; or the number and frequency of recruits. In addition to producing a decidedly unbalanced view of fern and lycophyte ecology, the absence of ecological data on the gametophytic phase of fern biology has left science with important misconceptions regarding this critical phase of the life cycle. The gametophyte not only provides the opportunity for sexual reproduction (and thus controls genetic diversity) but also determines (along with vegetative reproduction) recruitment, species habitat selection, species migration, and, ultimately, fern and lycophyte evolution.

Reasons for the dearth of field studies on gametophyte ecology are both perceived and real. It is much more difficult to find and to identify gametophyte plants than to do the same with sporophytes.

Type
Chapter
Information
Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes , pp. 222 - 256
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Alpert, P. (2000). The discovery, scope, and puzzle of desiccation tolerance in plants. Plant Ecology, 151, 5–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alpert, P. and Oliver, M. J. (2002). Drying without dying. In Desiccation and Survival in Plants, ed. Black, M. and Pritchard, H. W.. Wallingford: CAB International, pp. 3–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andersson, I. (1923). The genetics of variegation in a fern. Journal of Genetics, 13, 1–11.Google Scholar
Atkinson, L. R. (1973). The gametophyte and family relationships. In The Phylogeny and Classification of Ferns, ed. Jermy, A. C., Crabbe, J. A., and Thomas, B. A.. New York: Academic Press, pp. 73–90.Google Scholar
Atkinson, L. R. and Stokey, A. G. (1964). Comparative morphology of the gametophyte of homosporous ferns. Phytomorphology, 14, 51–70.Google Scholar
Bewley, J. D. (1979). Physiological aspects of desiccation tolerance. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 30, 195–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bierhorst, D. W. (1953). Structure and development of the gametophyte of Psilotum nudum. American Journal of Botany, 40, 649–658.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bierhorst, D. W. (1966). Fleshy cylindrical subterranean gametophyte of Schizaea melanesica. American Journal of Botany, 53, 123–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjorkman, O. and Demmig, B. (1987). Photon yield of O-2 evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics at 77-K among vascular plants of diverse origins. Planta, 170, 489–504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bower, F. O. (1923). The Ferns, Vol. I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Brodribb, T. J. and Holbrook, N. M. (2004). Stomatal protection against hydraulic failure: a comparison of coexisting ferns and angiosperms. New Phytologist, 162, 663–670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, D. H. (1905). The Structure and Development of the Mosses and Ferns. New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Chiou, W.-L. and Farrar, D. R. (2002). The mating systems of some epiphytic Polypodiaceae. American Fern Journal, 92, 65–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiou, W. L., Farrar, D. R., and Ranker, T. A. (1998). Reproductive biology of some species of Elaphoglossum. Canadian Journal of Botany, 76, 1967–1977.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiou, W.-L., Farrar, D. R., and Ranker, T. A. (1999). Gametophyte growth and sexual reproduction of some epiphytic ferns. In Ching Memorial Volume – A Collection of Pteridological Papers Published to Commemorate the Centenary of the Birth of Professor Ren-Change Ching, ed. X.-C. Zang and K.-H. Shing. Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House, pp. 303–315.
Cousens, M. I. (1979). Gametophyte ontogeny, sex expression, and genetic load as measures of population divergence in Blechnum spicant. American Journal of Botany, 66, 116–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cousens, M. I. (1981). Blechnum spicant: habitat and vigor of optimal, marginal, and disjunct populations, and field observations of gametophytes. Botanical Gazette, 142, 251–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cousens, M. I. (1988). Reproductive strategies of pteridophytes. In Plant Reproductive Ecology: Patterns and Strategies, ed. Lovett-Doust, J. and Lovett-Doust, L.. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 307–328.Google Scholar
Cousens, M. I., Lacey, D. G., and Kelly, E. M. (1985). Life-history studies of ferns – a consideration of perspective. Proceedings of The Royal Society of Edinburgh Section B, Biological Sciences, 86, 371–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cousens, M. I., Lacey, D. G., and Scheller, J. M. (1988). Safe sites and the ecological life history of Lorinseria areolata. American Journal of Botany, 75, 797–807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dassler, C. L. and Farrar, D. R. (1997). Significance of form in fern gametophytes: clonal, gemmiferous gametophytes of Callistopteris baueriana (Hymenophyllaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences, 158, 622–639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dassler, C. L. and Farrar, D. R. (2001). Significance of gametophyte form in long-distance colonization by tropical, epiphytic ferns. Brittonia, 53, 352–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Döpp, W. (1962). Eine die Antheridienbildung bei Farnen fördernde Substanz in den Prothallien von Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft, 63, 139–147.Google Scholar
Emigh, V. D. and Farrar, D. R. (1977). Gemmae: a role in sexual reproduction in the fern genus Vittaria. Science, 198, 297–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farrar, D. R. (1967). Gametophytes of four tropical fern genera reproducing independently of their sporophytes in the southern Appalachians. Science, 155, 1266–1267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farrar, D. R. (1976). Spore retention and release from overwintering fern fronds. American Fern Journal, 66, 49–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrar, D. R. (1985). Independent fern gametophytes in the wild. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 86, 361–369.Google Scholar
Farrar, D. R. (1998). The tropical flora of rockhouse cliff formations in the eastern United States. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Club, 125, 91–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrar, D. R. and Gooch, R. D. (1975). Fern reproduction in Woodman Hollow, central Iowa: preliminary observations and a consideration of the feasibility of conducting studies on fern reproductive biology in nature. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 82, 119–122.Google Scholar
Gaff, D. F. (1987). Desiccation tolerant plants in South America. Oecologia, 74, 133–136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goebel, K. (1905). Organography of Plants.Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Greer, G. K. and McCarthy, B. C. (1999). Gametophytic plasticity among four species of ferns with contrasting ecological distributions. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 160, 879–886.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hagar, W. G. and Freeberg, J. A. (1980). Photosynthetic rates of sporophytes and gametophytes of the fern, Todea barbara. Plant Physiology, 65, 584–586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hamilton, R. G., Lloyd, R. M. (1991). Antheridiogen in the wild. The development of fern gametophyte communities. Functional Ecology, 6, 804–809.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haufler, C. H. and Adams, W. W. (1982). Early gametophyte ontogeny of Gleichenia bifida (Willd.) Spreng. – phylogenetic and ecological implications. American Journal of Botany, 69, 1560–1565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hietz, P. and Briones, O. (1998). Correlation between water relations and within-canopy distribution of epiphytic ferns in a Mexican cloud forest. Oecologia, 114, 305–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hiyama, T., Imaichi, R., and Kato, M. (1992). Comparative development of gametophytes of Osmunda lancea and Osmunda japonica (Osmundaceae) – adaptation of rheophilous fern gametophyte. Botanical Magazine (Tokyo), 105, 215–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofmeister, W. (1862). On the Germination, Development, and Fructification of Higher Cryptogamia. London: Ray Society.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holttum, R. E. (1938). The ecology of tropical pteridophytes. In Manual of Pteridology, ed. Verdoorn, F.. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, pp. 420–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kappen, L. (1964). Untersuchungen uber die Jahreslauf der Frost-, Hitze-und Austrocknungsresistenz vin sporophyten einheimischer Polypodiaceen. Flora, 155, 123–166.Google Scholar
Kiss, J. Z. and Swatzell, L. J. (1996). Development of the gametophyte of the fern Schizeae pusilla. Journal of Microscopy, Oxford, 181, 213–221, Part 2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lloyd, R. M. (1974). Mating systems and genetic load in pioneer and non- pioneer Hawaiian pteridophyta. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 69, 23–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lovis, J. D. (1977). Evolutionary patterns and processes in ferns. In Advances in Botanical Research, ed. Preston, R. D. and Woolhouse, H. W.. London: Academic Press, pp. 229–440.Google Scholar
Makgomol, K. and Sheffield, E. (2001). Gametophyte morphology and ultrastructure of the extremely deep shade fern, Trichomanes speciosum. New Phytologist, 151, 243–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesler, M. R. (1975a). Gametophytes of Ophioglossum palmatum L. American Journal of Botany, 62, 97–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesler, M. R. (1975b). Mature gametophytes and young sporophytes of Ophioglossum nudicaule. Phytomorphology, 25, 156–166.Google Scholar
Mesler, M. R. (1976). Gametophytes and young sporophytes of Ophioglossum crotalophoroides Walt. American Journal of Botany, 63, 443–448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mesler, M. R. and Lu, K. L. (1977). Large gametophytes of Equisetum hyemale in northern California. American Fern Journal, 67, 97–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, J. H. (1968). Fern gametophytes as experimental material. Botanical Review, 34, 361–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, J. P., Nguema-Ona, E., Chevalier, L., Lindsey, G. G., Brandt, W. F., Lerouge, P., Farrant, J. M., and Driouich, A. (2006). Response of the leaf cell wall to desiccation in the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolius. Plant Physiology, 141, 651–662.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Näf, U. (1979). Antheridiogens and antheridia development. In The Experimental Biology of Ferns, ed. Dyer, A. F.. London: Academic Press, pp. 435–470.Google Scholar
Nayar, B. K. and Kaur, S. (1969). Types of prothallial development in homosporous ferns. Phytomorphology, 19, 179–188.Google Scholar
Nayar, B. K. and Kaur, S. (1971). Gametophytes of homosporous ferns. Botanical Review, 37, 295–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nester, J. E. and Schedlbauer, M. D. (1981). Gametophyte development in Anemia mexicana Klotzsch. Botanical Gazette, 142, 242–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nobel, P. S. (1978). Microhabitat, water relations, and photosynthesis of a desert fern, Notholaena parryi [Pteridophyta]. Oecologia, 31, 293–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oertli, J. J., Lips, S. H., and Agami, M. (1990). The strength of sclerophyllous cells to resist collapse due to negative turgor pressure. Acta Oecologica, International Journal of Ecology, 11, 281–289.Google Scholar
Oliver, M. J. (1996). Desiccation tolerance in vegetative plant cells. Physiologia Plantarum, 97, 779–787.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ong, B. L. and Ng, M. L. (1998). Regeneration of drought-stressed gametophytes of the epiphytic fern, Pyrrosia piloselloides (L.) Price. Plant Cell Reports, 18, 125–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ong, B. L., Koh, C. K. K., and Wee, Y. C. (1998). Effects of CO2 on growth and photosynthesis of Pyrrosia piloselloides (L.) Price gametophytes. Photosynthetica, 35, 21–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peck, J. H. (1980). The ecology and reproductive biology of ferns in Woodman Hollow, Iowa. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Peck, J. H., Peck, C. J., and Farrar, D. R. (1990). Comparative life history studies and the distribution of pteridophyte populations. American Fern Journal, 80, 126– 142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickett, F. L. (1913). Resistance of the prothallia of Camptosorus rhizophyllus to desiccation. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 40, 641–645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickett, F. L. (1914). Some ecological adaptations of certain fern prothallia – Camptosorus rhizophyllus Link., Asplenium platyneuron Oakes. American Journal of Botany, 1, 477–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickett, F. L. (1931). Notes on xerophytic ferns. America Fern Journal, 21, 49–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porembski, S. and Barthlott, W. (2000). Granitic and gneissic outcrops (inselbergs) as centers of diversity for desiccation-tolerant vascular plants. Plant Ecology, 151, 19–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Proctor, M. C. F. and Pence, V. (2002). Vegetative tissues: bryophytes, vascular resurrection plants and vegative propagules. In Desiccation and Survival in Plants: Drying Without Dying, ed. Black, M. and Prichard, H. W.. Wallingford: CAB International, pp. 207–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raghavan, V. (1989). Developmental Biology of Fern Gametophytes. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ranker, T. A. and Houston, H. A. (2002). Is gametophyte sexuality in the lab a good predictor of sexuality in nature? Sadleria as a case study. American Fern Journal, 92, 112–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Remy, R. and Remy, W. (1980). Devonian gametophytes with anatomically preserved gametangia. Science, 208, 295–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Remy, R., Gensel, P. G., and Hass, H. (1993). The gametophyte generation of some early Devonian land plants. International Journal of Plant Science, 154, 35–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rumsey, F. J., Vogel, J. C., Russell, S. J., Barrett, J. A., and Gibby, M. (1998). Climate, colonisation and celibacy: population structure in central European Trichomanes speciosum (Pteridophyta). Botanica Acta, 111, 481–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sakai, A. (1980). Freezing resistance of gametophytes of the temperate fern, Polystichum retroso-paleaceum. Canadian Journal of Botany, 58, 1144–1148.Google Scholar
Sato, T. and Sakai, A. (1981). Cold tolerance of gametophytes of some cool temperare ferns native to Hokkaido. Canadian Journal of Botany, 59, 604–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, E., Schuettpelz, E., Pryer, K. M., Cranfill, R., Magallon, S., and Lupia, R. (2004). Ferns diversified in the shadow of angiosperms. Nature, 428, 553–557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skelton, C. L. (2007). Investigations into gametophyte morphology and population sex ratios through direct comparisons between laboratory grown and field-grown fern gametophytes. Unpublished MS Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Smith, A. R., Pryer, K. M., Schuettpelz, E., Korall, P., Schneider, H., and Wolf, P. G. (2006). A classification for extant ferns. Taxon, 55, 705–731.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stokey, A. G. (1951). The contribution of the gametophyte to the classification of the homosporous ferns. Phytomorphology, 1, 39–58.Google Scholar
Stokey, A. G. and Atkinson, L. R. (1958). The gametophyte of the Grammitidaceae. Phytomorphology, 8, 391–403.Google Scholar
Tausz, M., Hietz, P., and Briones, O. (2001). The significance of carotenoides and tocopherols in photoprotection of seven epiphytic fern species of a Mexican cloud forest. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 28, 775–783.Google Scholar
Taylor, T. N., Kerp, H., and Hass, H. (2005). Life history biology of early land plants: deciphering the gametophyte phase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102, 5892–5897.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tryon, R. M. and Vitale, G. (1977). Evidence for antheridiogen production and its mediation of a mating system in natural populations of fern gametophytes. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 74, 243–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Twiss, E. M. (1910). The prothallia of Anemia and Lygodium. Botanical Gazette, 49, 168–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Voeller, B. and Weinberg, E. S. (1969). Evolutionary and physiological aspects of antheridium induction in ferns. In Current Topics in Plant Science, ed. Gunckel, J. E.. London: Academic Press, pp. 77–93.Google Scholar
Walp, R. L. (1951). Fern prothallia under cultivation for 12 years. Science, 113, 128–129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, J. E., Jr. (2006). Comparative functional ecology of tropical ferns. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Watkins, J. E., Cardelus, C.Jr., Colwell, R. K., and Moran, R. C. (2006a). Species richness and distribution of ferns along an elevational gradient in Costa Rica. American Journal of Botany, 93, 73–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, J. E. Jr., Kawahara, A. Y., Leicth, S. A., Auld, L. R., Bicksler, A. J., and Kaiser, K. (2006b). Fern laminar scales protect against photoinhibition from excess light. America Fern Journal, 96, 83–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, J. E. Jr., Mack, M. C., and Mulkey, S. S. (2007a). Gametophyte ecology and demography of epiphytic and terrestrial tropical ferns. American Journal of Botany, 94, 701–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkins, J. E. Jr., Mack, M. C., Sinclair, T. R., and Mulkey, S. S. (2007b) Ecological and evolutionary consequences of desiccation tolerance in tropical fern gametophytes. New Phytologist, 176, 708–717.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Gametophyte ecology
    • By Donald R. Farrar, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA, Cynthia Dassler, Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA, James E. Watkins, 16 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Chanda Skelton, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
  • Edited by Tom A. Ranker, University of Colorado, Boulder, Christopher H. Haufler, University of Kansas
  • Book: Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541827.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Gametophyte ecology
    • By Donald R. Farrar, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA, Cynthia Dassler, Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA, James E. Watkins, 16 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Chanda Skelton, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
  • Edited by Tom A. Ranker, University of Colorado, Boulder, Christopher H. Haufler, University of Kansas
  • Book: Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541827.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Gametophyte ecology
    • By Donald R. Farrar, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA, Cynthia Dassler, Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA, James E. Watkins, 16 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Chanda Skelton, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
  • Edited by Tom A. Ranker, University of Colorado, Boulder, Christopher H. Haufler, University of Kansas
  • Book: Biology and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541827.010
Available formats
×