Cochlearia polonica Fröhl. (Brassicaceae), a narrow endemic species of southern Poland: history of conservation efforts, overview of current population resources and genetic structure of populations (original) (raw)
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Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007
Cochlearia polonica, a narrow endemic of southern Poland, is one of the rarest and most endangered species of the European flora. All natural populations are extinct and the species has survived in only one transplanted population derived from 14 original individuals. Using AFLPs, the genetic variation and spatial structure of this population were analysed approximately 30 years after transplantation. The incidence of polymorphic AFLP bands (30.46%) is low compared with data from a natural population of another Cochlearia species, C. tatrae. Principal coordinates and spatial autocorrelation analyses demonstrated the presence of significant genetic structure. It is recommended that conservation efforts on C. polonica should preserve the complete population area, because local extinctions may lead to a loss of genetic information. The presence of genetic structure should also be taken into account during the sampling of material (plants or seeds) for ex situ conservation measures.
Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2011
Cochlearia pyrenaica is one of the most endangered plant species in Europe, listed in many European and regional conservation policy documents (e.g. Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland). To study its genetic structure, define its conservation units and propose a management strategy for this species, amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were used to analyse the genetic diversity within and between five representative populations of the species distribution in Western Europe (Cantabrian Range, North of Spain; Pyrenees, France; Wallonia, Belgium). Low levels of genetic diversity were revealed by the population percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB = 36.56%), average within-population diversity (H S = 0.0990) and genetic diversity within populations (H pop = 0.1541), although high levels were reported at species level (PPB = 81.16%; total genetic diversity for the species, H T = 0.0990; and genetic diversity within whole species, H sp = 0.2515). The coefficient of genetic differentiation among populations (G ST ) was 0.3869. The analysis of Shannon diversity index in population and for the total data set partitioned (38.72%) and AMOVA (53%) detected a high level of interpopulation diversity, in broad agreement with the result of genetic differentiation analysis. NeighborNet network and principal coordinate analyses clustered the populations in three major groups congruent with geographical regions. Bayesian clustering also confirmed these three distinct genetic clusters. The level of gene flow (Nm) was estimated as 0.3961 individuals per generation among populations, with the genetic identity (I) and genetic distance (D) among populations ranging from 0.8679 to 0.9651 and from 0.0355 to 0.1417, respectively. Therefore, the low levels of genetic variation and high divergence of regional gene pools indicate that there is a need to protect each disjunct region of Western Europe.
Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2003
Cochlearia macrorrhiza is one of the most highly endangered species in Central Europe and less than five individuals survived at its natural stand in a lowland area between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) confirmed the status of C. macrorrhiza as a distinct taxon. Lowland C. macrorrhiza does not bridge the distribution of montainous and alpine Cochlearia species from the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians genetically, and C. macrorrhiza represents a separate lineage which evolved from diploid Cochlearia as C. excelsa in East Austrian high alpine regions did. Another species considered in this study, the Romanian C. borzaeana is more closely related to C. tatrae from the High Tatra mountains than to C. pyrenaica from Slovakia or Austria and the AFLP results suggest a single origin of alpine 2n ¼ 42 taxa. Genetic differentiation within and between populations is highly structured geographically, and the AFLP data favour a former widespread distribution of C. pyrenaica in mountainous regions and a parallel evolution of high alpine taxa in the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians, respectively.
The genus Cochlearia L. (Brassicaceae) in the Eastern Carpathians and adjacent area
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006
Most European scurvy grasses (including those of the Carpathian Mountains) belong to the nominate section Cochlearia. We analyse the status of two East Carpathian (Romanian) Cochlearia populations by comparing them with the two native species from the Western Carpathians, the diploid Cochlearia pyrenaica (2 n = 2 x = 12; 2C = 0.78 pg) and hexaploid C. tatrae (2 n = 6 x = 42; 2C = 2.09 pg). Using karyological methods and flow cytometry, differences between these taxa were detected. Because of differences in morphology, chromosome number (2 n = 8 x = 48) and DNA content (2C = 2.82 pg), we propose that the East Carpathian (Romanian) populations represent a separate species, Cochlearia borzaeana (Coman et Nyár.) Pobed. The lectotype of C. borzeana is designated. The new subassociation Carici flavae-Cratoneuretum Kovács et Felföldy 1958 cochlearietosum borzeanae is described. An isolated population of C. pyrenaica s.l. from Ukraine (outwith the Carpathian territory) (2 n = 2 x = 12; 2C = 0.91 pg) has been also studied, because of its unclear taxonomic position. The diploid chromosome number, 2 n = 2 x = 12, is given for this single known population of C. pyrenaica s.l. in Ukraine. However, there is considerable difference in genome size and chromosome size between West Carpathian C. pyrenaica s.s. and Ukrainian plants, and taxonomic evaluation of the latter population needs further study. A comparative table with morphological characteristics and a short description of the phytosociological behaviour of C. borzaeana in Romania and taxa from the Western Carpathians are included.
Nordic Journal of Botany, 1996
Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) restriction site variation (RFLP), has been analysed in the genus Cochlearia L. sections Cochlearia O.E. Schulz and Glaucocochlearia O.E. Schulz. Members of section Glaucocochlearia are clearly separated from those of section Cochlearia by 28 site mutations, thus supporting taxonomic arrangements into the two sections mentioned. RAPD studies provide further strong evidence for closer relationships among tax a within each section than between sections. CpDNA sequence divergence values in section Cochlearia are extremely low. Although 91 accessions representing 11 species have been analysed by 25 restriction enzymes, only four restriction site mutations were detected characterising six different cp genome types. Low levels of chloroplast DNA divergence would suggest that taxa of section Cochlearia are closely related and most likely have diversified recently. Polyploid Cochlearia offcinalis (2n=24), C. anglica (2n=48) and C. danica (2n=42) displayed infraspecific variation for cp genomes, which could be partly explained by multiple origin and by reticulate evolution. RAPD analyses (22 primers, 140 informative characters, ten taxa from 17 accessions) do not only strongly support these arguments but also helped to clarify speciation processes and biogeographic aspects in more detail. It is argued that South West Europe was the primary center of origin of the polyploids, second centers may be the British Isles, Iceland and locally restricted parts of Middle Europe.
Scripta Botanica Belgica
Cochlearia macrorrhiza is one of the most highly endangered species in Central Europe and less than five individuals survived at its natural stand in a lowland area between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) confirmed the status of C. macrorrhiza as a distinct taxon. Lowland C. macrorrhiza does not bridge the distribution of montainous and alpine Cochlearia species from the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians genetically, and C. macrorrhiza represents a separate lineage which evolved from diploid Cochlearia as C. excelsa in East Austrian high alpine regions did. Another species considered in this study, the Romanian C. borzaeana is more closely related to C. tatrae from the High Tatra mountains than to C. pyrenaica from Slovakia or Austria and the AFLP results suggest a single origin of alpine 2n ¼ 42 taxa. Genetic differentiation within and between populations is highly structured geographically, and the AFLP data favour a former widespread distribution of C. pyrenaica in mountainous regions and a parallel evolution of high alpine taxa in the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians, respectively.
Hereditas, 2008
Although non-coding repetitive DNA accounts for 60-70 % of the total DNA in many plant genomes, its role and function are not well understood (WAL- BOT and GOLDBERG 1979; FLAVELL 1982). Several functions have, however, been assigned to this class of DNA; including such fundamental features as the maintenance of the three-dimensional conformation of the chromosomes and involvement in the pairing of chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis (reviewed in MIKLOS 1985). Many of the highly repeated sequences are organized in tandem arrays, and even among closely related species considerable variation in sequence, size and copy number has been observed.
Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2014
Haberlea is one of the few Gesneriaceae genera that has entered Europe. It is a highly endangered genus and red-listed in Bulgaria. Two species, H. rhodopensis and H. ferdinandi-coburgii, have been described to occur in Bulgaria, but this has never been addressed systematically. Here, we used molecular ISSR markers, morphological and nuclear DNA content to investigate the taxonomic and genetic status of Haberlea in Bulgaria. We found low levels of genetic diversity but significant genetic differentiation among the 12 investigated populations, with a strong separation between Balkan Mountain populations in the north and Rhodope Mountain populations in the south. However, the multivariate morphological analyses did not support such a division. The population from near Lovech, the type locality of the putative species H. ferdinandi-coburgii, did not differ in ploidy level from H. rhodopensis and did not form a separate entity in neither of the analyses and the existence of this species is therefore not supported.
Conservation Genetics, 2002
Chloroplast (trnL) and ribosomal (ITS2)sequences and chloroplast DNA (PCR-RFLP andSSR) markers were analysed in two relicUlmaceae tree species: Zelkova abelicea,from Crete, and Z. sicula, from Sicily.The analysis of the plastidial trnLintron and of ITS2 ribosomal sequences revealedtheir divergence from the related speciesZ. carpinifolia, widespread in the Caucasianregion; one base substitution in the trnLintron was detected between the twoMediterranean species, thus suggesting theirrecent separation. Molecular markers(plastidial PCR-RFLP and SSR) showed an evidentgenetic differentiation between Z. siculaand Z. abelicea, the two species beingcharacterised by different haplotypes. Nowithin population variation was detected usingdifferent chloroplast markers inZ. abelicea and Z. sicula. Paleobotanicaldata proved that the genus Zelkova wasabundant and widespread in central Italy untilit became extinct in the continental part ofEurope during last glaciation events andsurvived only in two Mediterranean islands. Thesegregation of the two Mediterranean relicspecies might have occurred as a consequence ofthe strong reduction of their distribution andthe following geographic isolation. Geneticdrift may have determined the drastic reductionof within stand diversity as observed in othersmall, peripheral and geographically isolatedplant populations. The priorities forconservation programs are discussed in thelight of the different genetic resourcesrepresented by the two taxa.