Final answer:
Self-pollinated seeds result in offspring with less genetic diversity as they arise from pollination within the same plant. Plants from rhizomes show greater genetic variability due to differences in environmental conditions and potential mutations, despite being clones. Mendel's cross-pollination experiments aimed to enhance genetic diversity for species resilience in changing environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The genetic difference between a self-pollinated seed and a plant that arose from a rhizome on the variation in genetic diversity. A self-pollinated plant has less genetic diversity because it involves transfer of pollen within the same plant, leading to offspring that are genetically very similar to the parent. In contrast, a plant arising from a rhizome, such as in vegetative reproduction methods including rhizomes, stolons, and runners, will usually show greater genetic variability, although they are clones of the parent plant. This can come from mutations and varying environmental conditions affecting the segments as they grow into new plants. Pea plants, for example, are naturally self-pollinating, but in his experiments, Gregor Mendel intervened to encourage cross-pollination, thereby producing hybrids with greater genetic diversity. This diversity is essential for the survival of species, offering resilience to changing environmental conditions. In the context of horticulture and crop production, strategies such as avoiding self-pollination and artificial selection in breeding, like with today's corn versus its ancestor teosinte, are employed to increase desirable traits among cultivated plants.