A population genetic evaluation of ecological restoration with the case study on Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia (Fagaceae)

Abstract

The ultimate goal of ecological restoration is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that is resilient to perturbation without further assistance. Genetic variation is a prerequisite for evolutionary response to environmental changes. However, few studies have evaluated the genetic structure of restored populations of dominant plants. In this study, we compared genetic variation of the restored populations with the natural ones in Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia, a dominant species of evergreen broadleaved forest. Using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci, we analyzed samples collected from restored populations and the donor population as well as two other natural populations. We compared the genetic diversity of restored and natural populations. Differences in genetic composition were evaluated using measurements of genetic differentiation and assignment tests. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.65. Three parameters (A, A R, and expected heterozygosity) of genetic variation were found to be lower, but not significantly, in the restored populations than they were in the natural populations, indicating a founder effect during the restoration. Significant but low F ST (0.061) was observed over all loci, indicating high gene flow among populations, as expected from its wind-pollination. Differentiation between the two restored populations was smallest. However, differences between the donor population and the restored populations were higher than those between other natural populations and the restored populations. Only 13.5% and 25.7% individuals in the two restored populations were assigned to the donor population, but 54.1 and 40% were assigned to another natural population. The genetic variation of the donor population was lowest, and geographic distances from the restoration sites to the donor site were much higher than the other natural populations, indicating that the present donor likely was not the best donor for these ecological restoration efforts. However, no deleterious consequences might be observed in restored populations due to high observed heterozygosity and high gene flow. This study demonstrates that during the restoration process, genetic structures of the restored populations may be biased from the donor population. The results also highlight population genetic knowledge, especially of gene flow-limited species, in ecological restoration.

A Genetic Assessment of Ecological Restoration Success in Banksia attenuata

“…Despite the widely acknowledged importance of genetic management for the long‐term resilience, functionality and self‐sustainability of restored natural systems (Mckay et al 2005; Broadhurst et al 2008; Dolan et al 2008; Bischoff et al 2010), genetic assessments of ecological restoration success remain rare (Young et al 2005; Liu et al 2008). Through a detailed assessment of genetic diversity and connectivity within and among restored and undisturbed populations and their offspring, we have confirmed here the successful genetic management of a keystone species in a 13‐year‐old post‐mining restoration project.…”

Genetic diversity and population structure of Castanopsis eyrei based on simple sequence repeat markers

“…Our results suggest that genetic diversity in this species is relatively high (H E = 0.7590) compared to in other species. For example, the expected heterozygosity for Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia is 0.553 (Liu et al, 2008), for Lithocarpus densiflorus it is 0.535 (Nettel et al, 2009), and for C. sclerophylla it is 0.568 (Wang et al, 2012). The high genetic diversity of C. eyrei is closely related to its biological characteristics.…”

Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in Cyclobalanopsis glauca (Fagaceae)

“…At the population level, the mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 6.0 to 7.1, similar to those found in congener C . myrsinifolia ( Liu et al, 2008 ). The observed and expected heterozygosities per locus within populations, calculated on TFPGA T ABLE 1.…”