Stylidium armeria experimental gene flow data

Gene flow can have rapid effects on adaptation and is an important evolutionary tool available when undertaking biological conservation and restoration. This tool is underused partly because of the perceived risk of outbreeding depression and loss of mean fitness when different populations are crossed. In this article we briefly review some theory and empirical findings on how genetic variation is distributed across species ranges, describe known patterns of gene flow in nature with respect to environmental gradients, and highlight the effects of gene flow on adaptation in small or stressed populations in challenging environments (e.g., at species range limits). We then present a case study involving crosses at varying spatial scales among mountain populations of a trigger plant (Stylidium armeria: Stylidiaceae) in the Australian Alps to highlight how some issues around gene flow effects can be evaluated. We found evidence of outbreeding depression in seed production at greater geograph..., Study system
We examined F1 hybrid performance of the thrift-leaved trigger plant, Stylidium armeria, a species common throughout the montane and high elevation woodland areas of southeastern Australia (with the current focus on the Australian Alps) (Figure 3). The alpine areas in Australia form a rare ecosystem, with treeless alpine vegetation covering ~0.15% of the continent, and like other alpine environments around the world, they are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change (Hughes, 2003). Cuttings from wild plants were harvested from various sites throughout the Victorian and New South Wales high country. Outcrossing of the different populations was performed and the F1 progeny of these outcrossings were germinated under controlled nursery conditions. Stylidium armeria is morphologically variable throughout its distribution, with differences thought to be related to surrounding vegetation, soil type and climatic factors (Raulings & Ladiges, 2001). The pollination uni..., , # Stylidium armeria experimental gene flow

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.59zw3r2gp](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.59zw3r2gp)

The dataset contains germination, seed, and plant size data resulting from experimental crosses (pollinations) between populations of the thrift-leaved trigger plant (*Stylidium armeria)* from the Australian Alps. Plants were collected from natural locations, grown in glasshouses until flowering, and cross pollinated as described in the Methods. Seeds resulting from pollinations were counted, weighed, and sown, and the resulting seedlings were raised for several months. Plant sizes were estimated from the longest plant height and width.

## Description of the data and file structure

There are three datasets, each contained within a csv spreadsheet.

The germination_dataset.csv file contains information about which crosses germinated.

Variable names and abbreviations used include the following:

sire pop = population from where pollen originated

dam pop = po...