Reviews that summarize the genetic diversity of plant species in relation to their life history and ecological traits show that forest trees have more genetic diversity at population and species levels than annuals or herbaceous perennials. In addition, among-population genetic differentiation is significantly lower in trees than in most herbaceous perennials and annuals. Possible reasons for these differences between trees and herbaceous perennials and annuals have not been discussed critically. Several traits, such as high rates of outcrossing, longdistance pollen and seed dispersal, large effective population sizes (N e), arborescent stature, low population density, longevity, overlapping generations, and occurrence in late successional communities, may make trees less sensitive to genetic bottlenecks and more resistant to habitat fragmentation or climate change. We recommend that guidelines for genetic conservation strategies be designed differently for tree species versus other types of plant species. Because most tree species fit an LH scenario (low [L] genetic differentiation and high [H] genetic diversity), tree seeds could be sourced from a few populations distributed across the species' range. For the in situ conservation of trees, translocation is a viable option to increase N e. In contrast, rare herbaceous understory species are frequently HL (high differentiation and low diversity) species. Under the HL scenario, seeds should be taken from many populations with high genetic diversity. In situ conservation efforts for herbaceous plants should focus on protecting habitats because the typically small populations of these species are vulnerable to the loss of genetic diversity. The robust allozyme genetic diversity databases could be used to develop conservation strategies for species lacking genetic information. As a case study of reforestation with several tree species in denuded areas on the Korean Peninsula, we recommend the selection of local genotypes as suitable sources to prevent adverse effects and to insure the successful restoration in the long term.

No abstract

The so-called “Baekdudaegan” (BDDG), a mountain range that stretches along the Korean Peninsula, has been recently proposed as a major “southern” glacial refugium for boreal or temperate plant species based on palaeoecological and, especially, genetic data. Genetic studies comparing genetic variation between population occurring on the BDDG and more northern ones (i.e. in NE China and/or in Russian Far East) are, however, still too few to draw firm conclusions on the role of the BDDG as a refugium and a source for possible northward post-glacial recolonizations. In order to fill this gap, we selected a boreal/temperate herb, Lilium cernuum, and compared levels of allozyme-based genetic diversity of five populations from NE China with five populations from South Korea (home of its hypothesized refuge areas). As a complementary tool, we used the maximum entropy algorithm implemented in MaxEnt to infer the species’ potential distribution for the present time, which was projected to different past climate scenarios for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Permutation tests revealed that Korean populations harbored significantly higher levels of within-population genetic variation than those from NE China (expected heterozygosity = 0.173 vs. 0.095, respectively). Our results suggest that the lowered levels of genetic diversity in NE Chinese populations might be due to founder effects associated with post-glacial migration from southern regions. Congruent with genetic data, past distribution models showed higher probability of occurrence in southern ranges than in northern ones during the LGM. In addition, a positive correlation was detected between the expected heterozygosity and environmental LGM suitability. From a conservation perspective, our results further suggest that the southern populations in South Korea may be particularly worthy of protection.

No abstract

Reliable and accurate species identification is essential to establish strategy and for monitoring and manipulation of plant populations for conservation biology. However, identification of non-flowering plants is difficult. Based on recent advances in molecular biological techniques, various molecular identification methodologies have been proposed and applied in plant science, with a focus on medicinally valuable species.Lady's Slipper orchids (Cypripedium) are a representative terrestrial orchid group that includes many endangered species. Of 46 species, 3 (C. japonicum, C. macranthos, and C. guttatum var. koreanum) were reported from Korea and categorised as endangered species or at risk of becoming endangered because of the rapidly decreasing population. We generated an accurate molecular identification system for these species using the sequence variation and species-specific SNPs of two plastid loci, rpoC2, and the IGS region between atpF and atpH. We selected the atpF-H region for molecular identification of the Korean Cypripedium and relatedTaiwan endemic taxon C. formosanum. Cypripedium guttatum var. koreanum contained large deletions of over 300 bp, and could be distinguished by electrophoresis. For the other three species, we designed new primers based on a specific insertion (C. macranthos) and SNPs (C. japonicum and C. formosanum). We confirmed that molecular identification enables detection of each species using species-specific primers.