Extremely low genetic diversity and conservation priorities of a
vulnerable and endemic tree (Morella adenophora Hance) to China
Zhao Lihong
Key laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology & Agro-Bioengineering (CICMEAB), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China.
Author ProfileChen Yuting
Key laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology & Agro-Bioengineering (CICMEAB), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China.
Author ProfileLi Yue
Key laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology & Agro-Bioengineering (CICMEAB), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China.
Author ProfileJiang chunxue
Key laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology & Agro-Bioengineering (CICMEAB), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China.
Author ProfileAbstract
With the global biodiversity loss, it is crucial to protect the
threatened species. While endemic species not only are important
components of regional biodiversity, also the ecological niche of one
has significant implication for ecosystem. The low genetic diversity of
the endemic species is highly vulnerable to extinction. However,
conservation of threatened or endemic species is relatively weak. It is
urgent to formulate appropriate protection strategies. In this paper,
based on chloroplast DNA sequencing, the 3,133 base pairs (bp) of
combining 5 chloroplast genes (ycf13125-ycf14381, ycf11205-ycf12402,
psbA-trnH, trnD-psbM and trnL-trnF) were analyzed from 6 populations of
M. adenophora, a vulnerable and endemic tree growing in forests or at
forest edges in China, detecting only 5 haplotypes with 4 polymorphic
sites (0.13%). The total haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide
diversity (π) was 0.234 and 0.0001, respectively. It is shown that the
extremely low genetic diversity in the species and thus 49 individuals
shared common haplotype H1. The results of haplotype network, haplotype
geographical distribution analysis and neutrality tests supported that
populations had experienced recent expansion. The low genetic diversity
values found in the present study raise considerable concern about the
conservation status of M. adenophora and highlight the need to further
protect genetic diversity to strengthen their resilience against further
decline.