Effects of human activities on the genetic characteristics of Phaius flavus populations

Abstract

Human activity often has profound effects on plant growth and evolution. Orchids are the most diverse group of flowering plants and are threatened by habitat fragmentation, over-harvesting, and urbanization. A population of Phaius flavus from Beikengding Mount (BM) in Fujian Province was divided into two patches by road construction, and its genetic characteristics were evaluated using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) data. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of road construction on the evolution of different patches within a population. Analysis revealed that the genetic diversity of patch B was slightly higher than that of patch A in the BM population of P. flavus. Principal component and phylogenetic analyses, genetic structure, genetic differentiation, and bottleneck detection indicated phase-independent genetic differentiation between the two patches. Thus, the construction of the Y013 village road may have influenced different patches of this population on a genetic level. This study provides a rational basis for research on the impact of human activities on biodiversity conservation.