Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of the Rare and Endangered Plant Species Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill in East Central Europe

Abstract

Pulsatilla patens s.s. is a one of the most endangered plant species in Europe. The present range of this species in Europe is highly fragmented and the size of the populations has been dramatically reduced in the past 50 years. The rapid disappearance of P. patens localities in Europe has prompted the European Commission to initiate active protection of this critically endangered species. The aim of this study was to estimate the degree and distribution of genetic diversity within European populations of this endangered species. We screened 29 populations of P. patens using a set of six microsatellite primers. The results of our study indicate that the analyzed populations are characterized by low levels of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.005) and very high levels of inbreeding (FIS = 0.90). These results suggest that genetic erosion could be partially responsible for the lower fitness in smaller populations of this species. Private allelic richness was very low, being as low as 0.00 for most populations. Average genetic diversity over loci and mean number of alleles in P. patens populations were significantly correlated with population size, suggesting severe genetic drift. The results of AMOVA point to higher levels of variation within populations than between populations.The results of Structure and PCoA analyses suggest that the genetic structure of the studied P. patens populations fall into three clusters corresponding to geographical regions. The most isolated populations (mostly from Romania) formed a separate group with a homogeneous gene pool located at the southern, steppic part of the distribution range. Baltic, mostly Polish, populations fall into two genetic groups which were not fully compatible with their geographic distribution.Our results indicate the serious genetic depauperation of P. patens in the western part of its range, even hinting at an ongoing extinction vortex. Therefore, special conservation attention is required to maintain the populations of this highly endangered species of European Community interest.

Plant intraspecific functional trait variation is related to within‐habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity in Trifolium montanum L.

“…After modeling, expected heterozygosity (H e ) best‐explained iFD CV . H e is based on allelic structure, represents genotype and allele frequencies, and is less sensitive to population history (Freeland et al, 2011; Kalinowski, 2004; Szczecińska et al, 2016). Heterozygosity within individuals and populations probably influenced iFD CV because it enhances the reaction norm and adaptability and thus affects intraspecific trait variation (Boulding, 2008; Freeland et al, 2011; Reed & Frankham, 2003).…”

“…The final multiple linear regression model contained HD and expected heterozygosity (H e ) as explaining, independent variables (see Table ). H e is widely used as genetic diversity index, and it less depends on population history (e.g., bottlenecks) compared to the other indices (Freeland et al, 2011; Kalinowski, 2004; Szczecińska, Sramko, Wołosz, & Sawicki, 2016). Therefore, we used population‐wise multilocus mean values of expected heterozygosity (H e ) as genetic diversity (GD; see also section Discussion, Relationships between intraspecific functional trait variation and genetic diversity).…”

Genetic variation characterization of the boreal tree Acer ginnala population in response to environmental change of Northern China

“…Population genetic variation of A. ginnala A. ginnala contained a high genetic diversity at the species level (Table 1). Genetic diversity is the culmination of the long-term evolution of species or populations [28][29], which might be affected by multiple factors, such as the size of the geographical range, genetic exchange, environmental conditions, and species characteristics [30][31]. As relates to geographical distribution, A. ginnala has a relatively extensive distribution area, from Southwest to Northeast China.…”

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for endangered species Stipa pennata (Poaceae) and their usefulness in intraspecific delimitation

“…They are the most popular markers used to determine the genetic diversity and differentiation of populations of rare and endangered species [11–15]. Moreover, some studies have postulated their suitability for phylogenetic reconstruction and taxonomic delimitation [16–18].…”