Question

Write notes on ecological significance of molecular variation

Answer 1

Recent developments in molecular methods for
assessing diversity, particularly the analysis of randomly Despite extensive research for several decades, there amplified polymorphic DNA fragments, have made it remains a lack of understanding of the processes that possible to obtain estimates of intra- and inter-specific determine the dynamics of natural plant communities. diversity from nuclear genomes of natural plant popula- In this paper some current concepts in vegetation tions with relative ease. However, methods for applying dynamics are reviewed and an attempt is made to the results of such analyses to improve our understanding provide a perspective of the way in which data for of the ecology of natural vegetation are still relatively molecular diversity might be used to help in developing poorly developed. This is due, in part, to the difficulties
an understanding of population processes. It is pro- which arise in relating molecular marker data to import- posed that data from assessments of general popula- ant ecophysiological traits in natural plant populations. tion diversity, and specific ecophysiological traits can The relationship between the traits displayed by indi- be used to assess the potential for individual species vidual species and their role in the ecological community
to compete and substitute for each other in a is a further poorly researched subject. Recent publications
community. (Aerts, 1999; Grime et al., 1997; Wardle et al., 1998) have
shown that insights into plant community structure can
Key words: Natural plant communities, dynamics

Answer 2

Answer:

ecology significant of molecular variation