scholarly journals Conservation implications of genetic variation in three rare species endemic to Florida rosemary scrub

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1556-1562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca W. Dolan ◽  
Rebecca Yahr ◽  
Eric S. Menges ◽  
Matthew D. Halfhill
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Rosemary Scrub

scholarly journals Conservation genetics of the threatened plant species Physaria filiformis (Missouri bladderpod) reveals strong genetic structure and a possible cryptic species

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247586
Author(s):  
Christine E. Edwards ◽  
Brooke C. Tessier ◽  
Joel F. Swift ◽  
Burgund Bassüner ◽  
Alexander G. Linan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Ouachita Mountains ◽  
Genetic Diversity And Structure ◽  
Genetic Clusters

Understanding genetic diversity and structure in a rare species is critical for prioritizing both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts. One such rare species is Physaria filiformis (Brassicaceae), a threatened, winter annual plant species. The species has a naturally fragmented distribution, occupying three different soil types spread across four disjunct geographical locations in Missouri and Arkansas. The goals of this study were to understand: (1) whether factors associated with fragmentation and small population size (i.e., inbreeding, genetic drift or genetic bottlenecks) have reduced levels of genetic diversity, (2) how genetic variation is structured and which factors have influenced genetic structure, and (3) how much extant genetic variation of P. filiformis is currently publicly protected and the implications for the development of conservation strategies to protect its genetic diversity. Using 16 microsatellite markers, we genotyped individuals from 20 populations of P. filiformis from across its geographical range and one population of Physaria gracilis for comparison and analyzed genetic diversity and structure. Populations of P. filiformis showed comparable levels of genetic diversity to its congener, except a single population in northwest Arkansas showed evidence of a genetic bottleneck and two populations in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas showed lower genetic variation, consistent with genetic drift. Populations showed isolation by distance, indicating that migration is geographically limited, and analyses of genetic structure grouped individuals into seven geographically structured genetic clusters, with geographic location/spatial separation showing a strong influence on genetic structure. At least one population is protected for all genetic clusters except one in north-central Arkansas, which should therefore be prioritized for protection. Populations in the Ouachita Mountains were genetically divergent from the rest of P. filiformis; future morphological analyses are needed to identify whether it merits recognition as a new, extremely rare species.

scholarly journals Adaptive introgression: a plant perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 20170688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Suarez-Gonzalez ◽  
Christian Lexer ◽  
Quentin C. B. Cronk
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Species Boundaries ◽  
Adaptive Introgression ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Standing Variation ◽  
The Face ◽  
Signatures Of Selection ◽  
Lines Of Evidence ◽  
Conservation And Management

Introgression is emerging as an important source of novel genetic variation, alongside standing variation and mutation. It is adaptive when such introgressed alleles are maintained by natural selection. Recently, there has been an explosion in the number of studies on adaptive introgression. In this review, we take a plant perspective centred on four lines of evidence: (i) introgression, (ii) selection, (iii) phenotype and (iv) fitness. While advances in genomics have contributed to our understanding of introgression and porous species boundaries (task 1), and the detection of signatures of selection in introgression (task 2), the investigation of adaptive introgression critically requires links to phenotypic variation and fitness (tasks 3 and 4). We also discuss the conservation implications of adaptive introgression in the face of climate change. Adaptive introgression is particularly important in rapidly changing environments, when standing genetic variation and mutation alone may only offer limited potential for adaptation. We conclude that clarifying the magnitude and fitness effects of introgression with improved statistical techniques, coupled with phenotypic evidence, has great potential for conservation and management efforts.

scholarly journals Genetic Variation in Past and Current Landscapes: Conservation Implications Based on Six Endemic Florida Scrub Plants

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Menges ◽  
Rebecca W. Dolan ◽  
Roberta Pickert ◽  
Rebecca Yahr ◽  
Doria R. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Polymorphic Locus ◽  
Florida Scrub ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Genetic Patterns ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Hypericum Cumulicola ◽  
Suitable Habitats

If genetic variation is often positively correlated with population sizes and the presence of nearby populations and suitable habitats, landscape proxies could inform conservation decisions without genetic analyses. For six Florida scrub endemic plants (Dicerandra frutescens, Eryngium cuneifolium, Hypericum cumulicola, Liatris ohlingerae, Nolina brittoniana, and Warea carteri), we relate two measures of genetic variation, expected heterozygosity and alleles per polymorphic locus (APL), to population size and landscape variables. Presettlement areas were estimated based on soil preferences and GIS soils maps. Four species showed no genetic patterns related to population or landscape factors. The other two species showed significant but inconsistent patterns. ForLiatris ohlingerae, APL was negatively related to population density and weakly, positively related to remaining presettlement habitat within 32 km. ForNolina brittoniana, APL increased with population size. The rather weak effects of population area/size and both past and current landscape structures suggest that genetic variation needs to be directly measured and not inferred for conservation planning.

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