Effect of snowmelt timing on the genetic structure of an Erythronium grandiflorum population in an alpine environment

In alpine environments, flowering phenology can differ within local populations even at the same elevation. We assessed the effects of differences in flowering phenology due to snowmelt timing caused by local geographic heterogeneity on the genetic structure of a population of an alpine plant, Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh. We established a study plot of 250×70 m at 3,340 m above sea level in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, CO, USA. The flowering phenology was considerably influenced by snowmelt timing due to local geographic heterogeneity. Twenty-two patches of E. grandiflorum were recognized in the study plot and were classified into three phenological groups: early, middle, and late. To express the differentiation of flowering phenology among the patches, we defined phenological distance and analyzed the relationship between genetic and phenological distances. Additionally, since genetic distance is expected to co-vary with geographic distance, we also analyzed the relationship between genetic distance and geographic distance among patches. The results revealed not only that isolation by distance was present among patches, but also that the differences in snowmelt timing gave rise to phenologically distant patches of E. grandiflorum, which in turn determine the genetic structure caused by the limited pollen flow between patches.