Authors: Linda Kothera Christopher M Richards Shanna E Carney
Publish Date: 2007/01/16
Volume: 8, Issue: 5, Pages: 1043-1050
Abstract
Physaria bellii Brassicaceae is a rare outcrossing perennial endemic to shale and sandstone outcrops along the Front Range of northern Colorado USA This species is locally abundant but ranked G2/S2—imperiled because of threats to its habitat and a small number of populations—according to NatureServe’s standardized ranking system Leaf tissue from ten populations was analyzed with ISSR InterSimple Sequence Repeat markers to discern the amount of genetic diversity and degree of population subdivision in P bellii Genetic diversity was moderate 022 and a moderately high degree of population structure was found F ST calculated using two algorithms ranged from 017 to 024 An AMOVA partitioned most of the variation among individuals within populations 76 and the remainder among populations 24 Results from a Principal Coordinates analysis were consistent with the geographic distribution of populations A Mantel test of the correlation between genetic and geographic distances was highly significant P 0001 The pattern of variation thus appears to be distributed along a gradient and efforts to conserve this species should involve preserving enough populations so that gene flow between populations is not interruptedThis work was supported by grants to LK from the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks OSMP Small Grants Program and the Colorado Native Plant Society’s Steinkamp Fund and start up funds to SEC Lynn Riedel from OSMP the staff of the Colorado Natural Heritage Program Meegan Fleniken from the Larimer County Parks and Open Lands department Claire DeLeo of the Boulder County Open Space Department and the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas department are gratefully acknowledged for providing location information and/or permits to work with Physaria bellii
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