Breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of a rare sand dune shrub Eremosparton songoricum(Fabaceae:Papilionoideae):implications for conservation

The breeding system and its consequence on fruit set of Eremosparton songoricum(Litv.) Vass.,a rare shrubby legume occurring in moving or semi-fixed sand dunes of Central Asian deserts,were examined by manipulative experiments and observational studies in natural populations during the period of 2007-2009.The results showed that E.songoricum exhibits a mixed mating system.It is self-compatible,but depends strictly on pollinators to set fruits.Only two effective pollinators were detected and they triggered the specialized pollination mechanism(a ’brush type’ and ’tripping mechanism’).Geitonogamy becomes predominant in natural populations,because(74.5±1.3)% of visiting activity happened within or between inflorescences and(24.3±1.4)% occurred between ramets.As a result,inbreeding depression caused by geitonogamous selfing inevitably happened under natural conditions,showing 2.36 times less fruit set than was achieved by hand cross-pollination.The results explained the rarity of the species due to its breeding system,and will assist to develop suitable conservation strategies in severe desert environments.