Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae) is a highly selfing annual herbaceous weed that is distributed globally across northern temperate zones.  A. thaliana exhibits metapopulation dynamics of repeated extinction and recolonization in disturbed habitats, typically agricultural fields or other anthropogenically altered sites. As an early successional colonist, A. thaliana is a poor competitor; in order to persist at a site, a population typically requires a disturbance that will clear competitors.  This disturbance may take the form of repeated plowing of agricultural fields in human-manipulated sites, or, in less manipulated habitats, shifting beach sand or erosion on rocky outcroppings. 

 

We have made collections from populations in different regions of A. thaliana’s worldwide distribution.  Ideally, thorough information will be available for each of the collection sites (including photographs, GPS coordinates, altitude, soil type, biotic context, etc.).  More realistically, we hope this information will be available for populations residing in unusual habitats. An excellent resource for A. thaliana populations in Central Asia and the Mediterranean can be found at the Loudet lab/INRA website.  Remote Norwegian populations are generally described here (though details are in Norwegian!).  Some lines derived from these collections are available from the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) via TAIR.

 

Swedish collections:

In southern Sweden, A. thaliana inhabits human-disturbed areas that are characteristic of most of its wide geographical distribution. However, at the northern limit of the plant’s range in Sweden, A. thaliana less often exhibits its typical weedy lifestyle: populations are sometimes found in fallow fields, but south-facing mountain slopes are a common habitat for established populations. In these rocky areas, confined primarily to the Höga Kust (High Coast) region, erosion is likely the source of disturbance that allows populations to persist. The High Coast is an area characterized by rapid geological uplift (approximately 8mm/year) which provides the rocky south-facing slopes.  As a result of these geological features, flora and fauna are unusual for this part of the world.  We have made collections from several populations in the High Coast region (Västernorrland) as well as in southern Sweden (Skåne, Blekinge). 

Northern Sweden (Västernorrland)

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Region

Population

Patch

Accessions in ABRC

Collection date

Lat/Long

Altitude

Northern Sweden

Eden

Eden-1

CS22572

Spring 2000

 

 

 

 

Eden-2

CS22572

 

 

 

 

Location description: West of the village of Eden, cliffs high above the road (behind the aspen).

 

 

 

 

 

Region

Population

Patch

Accessions in ABRC

Collection date

Lat/Long

Altitude

Northern Sweden

Fäberget, 

Fäb-2 

CS22576

Spring 2000

 

 

 

 

Fäb-4 

CS22577

 

 

 

Location description: south-facing cliffs right above the sea. (follow "Privat Väg", go along winter road, past rocks by the sea: common from bottom to top).

 

Southern Sweden (Skåne):

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Maintained by Alison Anastasio.

Last updated: December 3, 2006