Expansion of an invasive species, Ailanthus altissima, at a regional scale in Japan

Abstract

Ailanthus altissima, which is recognized as an invasive tree in the Western world, has been widely observed in Japan. To investigate how A. altissima expanded within-population and to new populations within a region, 446 A. altissima trees were sampled from three separate sites (A, B, and C) including 35 distantly positioned patches, with three chloroplast DNA markers and nine nuclear microsatellite markers. We detected 2, 2, and 3 chloroplast haplotypes in sites A, B, and C, respectively. In addition, 271, 40, and 41 nuclear genotypes were detected in sites A, B, and C, respectively. The clonal richness value was 0.85, 0.78, and 0.53 in sites A, B, and C, respectively. Most trees with the same genotypes were distributed in the same patch, indicating that range expansion by asexual reproduction was limited to a maximum of 45 meters. According to autocorrelation analysis, the extent of nonrandom spatial genetic structure was approximately 0-2 km in sites A and C. KINGROUP analyses showed that 812, 74, and 111 nuclear genotype pairs were detected to have kinship in sites A, B, and C, respectively. Most nuclear genotype pairs were detected within the same patches or sites. These results indicate that the number of A. altissima trees gradually increased from seeds, some of which were produced by trees within sites, meaning that this species could regenerate naturally. This shows the need for the future management of A. altissima as an invasive species in Japan.

Analysis of microsatellite loci in tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) using SSR-GBS

“…So far, in the case of Ailanthus altissima, available markers from its nuclear genome include nine microsatellites developed by Dallas et al (2005). These loci or a subset of them have been used for analyses of population genetic structure (Aldrich et al 2010;Kurokochi et al 2014) or clonality (Chuman et al 2015). However, depending on the scientific question, a population genetic study may require a higher number of markers.…”

Exploring the genetic diversity and population structure of Ailanthus altissima using chloroplast and nuclear microsatellite DNA markers across its native range

“…Population genetic studies of A. altissima have been extensively conducted outside its native range. These studies have utilized various molecular markers such as isozymes (Feret and Bryant, 1974), chloroplast DNA sequences (Kurokochi et al, 2012), and nuclear microsatellite markers (Aldrich et al, 2010;Kurokochi et al, 2014;Chuman et al, 2015;Brusa and Holzapfel, 2018;Neophytou et al, 2018). However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the genetic variability of populations of this species in its native range.…”

Local-Level Genetic Diversity and Structure of Matsutake Mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) Populations in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Revealed by 15 Microsatellite Markers

“…Microsatellite (SSR: simple sequence repeat) markers for polymorphism analysis are known to be effective for analyzing the reproductive mechanisms of many organisms. Nuclear SSR markers with high polymorphism might also contribute to the analysis of parenthood, kinship, genetic structure, and population genetics [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Nagano prefecture is one of the most productive areas for matsutake mushroom growth and has recently had the highest annual yield of this product in Japan (Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Japan Annual report on trends in forest and forestry in Japan, Fiscal year 2009 (Summary)).…”