Genetic diversity of natural populations of Machilus thunbergii, an endangered tree species in eastern China, determined with ISSR analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The genetic diversity of 10 Machilus thunbergii populations in eastern China was analyzed using inter-simple sequence repeat markers. The populations showed high genetic diversity, with an overall population genetic diversity of 0.2343. Genetic diversity varied largely among populations, and populations with the highest genetic diversity were mainly from the eastern and western parts of the natural distribution area. Small populations, lack of effective gene flow, and fragmentation of habitats have led to greater genetic differentiation among populations, with 41.18% of genetic variation existing among populations. Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis indicated that populations distributed between latitudes 25° and 31°N were clustered together and should be prioritized for in situ conservation. Northern, eastern, and southern populations were located in peripheral areas of the distribution range and were clustered separately. Collection of distinctive germplasm from peripheral populations should be promoted and ex situ conservation of elite germplasm should be implemented.

Genetic, Morphological, and Biochemical Diversity of Argan Tree (Argania spinosa L.) (Sapotaceae) in Tunisia

“…In order to adapt to and survive environmental changes, the genetic diversity of a species is vital; the higher the genetic diversity of a species, the higher its chance for survival in a changing climate. ISSRs are efficacious markers used to evaluate polymorphisms as well as the variability of many forest plant species including Argania spinosa [16,17,18,34,35,36,37,38,39].…”

“…Multi locus analysis estimated from 116 loci showed diversity within the four provenances studied; (Gst = 0.17; Nm = 2.42), which is considered lower than the average genetic differentiation coefficient (Gst) among populations of A. spinosa in Morocco which indicated high genetic differentiation (Gst = 0.40), (Gst = 0.20), and (Gst = 0.54) [16,17,20]. The differentiation coefficient foundin argan trees is also lower compared to other forest species, for example sessile oak was sited with a differentiation index of Gst = 0.026 [42], Pinus sylvestris with Gst = 0.3965 [43]; Cupressus gigantea (Gst = 0.36) [44]; Machilus thunbergii (Gst = 0.4118) [39], and Rheum palmatum and Rheum tanguticum (Gst palmatum = 0.537; Gst tanguticum = 0.497) [45]. This may be a result of the ecological differences among the two countries or the limited number of samples compared to the studies in Morocco.…”

Genetic diversity and structure of native and non-native populations of the endangered plant Pinus dabeshanensis

“…Understanding the genetic history and variation in natural populations is essential for developing rational in situ conservation strategies and managing ex situ germplasm collections (Swarts et al, 2009;Lauterbach et al, 2011;Liu et al, 2013).…”

Genetic diversity of Ceratoides arborescens, a species endemic to China, detected by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR)

“…All these traits together have probably resulted in its presently high level of genetic diversity at the species level. Moreover, many researchers have considered that habitat fragmentation, location, and population size have high impact on genetic diversity within populations (Feng et al, 2006;Arunkumar et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2013;Ghaffari et al, 2014). In the present study, the desert steppe group (PA, PB) exhibits a higher degree of genetic diversity than the typical steppe group (PC, PD, PE, and PF), This result was consistent with population size, suggesting that fragmented habitats, migration (decreased or absent) between populations, and genetic drift have probably contributed to the loss of diversity in the populations, especially in PF.…”

“…Genetic diversity plays an important role in the survival and adaptability of a species, and it is largely attributed to several life history traits, such as geographic range, seed dispersal mechanism, mating system, life form, and taxonomic status Tian et al, 2012;Zhao et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2013;Ghaffari et al, 2014). Compared to widespread species, many endemic and rare species usually show low levels of genetic diversity because of their habitat fragmentation Sow et al, 2014).…”