Population genetic variation, differentiation and bottlenecks of Dacrydium pectinatum (Podocarpaceae) in Hainan Island, China: implications for its conservation
Ying-Juan Su A , Ting Wang B C and Feng Deng AA State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
B Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Speciality Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
C Corresponding author. Email: tingwang@wbgcas.cn
Australian Journal of Botany 58(4) 318-326 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT09106
Submitted: 13 June 2010 Accepted: 16 April 2010 Published: 22 June 2010
Abstract
Island populations provide an ideal natural experiment with which to study the forces driving population evolution. Seventeen populations of Dacrydium pectinatum de Laubenfels on Hainan Island, China, were sampled throughout its distribution range and then assessed using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Population genetic parameters were estimated by Bayesian approaches as well as conventional methods. Genetic bottleneck signatures were further dissected by performing three heterozygosity excess tests and the mode-shift indicator test. Compared with other coniferous species, a relatively high level of genetic variation and a low degree of differentiation was revealed in D. pectinatum. In addition, severe bottlenecks were identified at local, regional as well as range-wide scale. Ecological and life-history traits were suggested to play major roles in the shaping of the genetic variation pattern. In particular, long life span could have exerted a lagging effect on both the genetic variation and differentiation of extant populations. Our findings may contribute to improving management practices for the restoration of D. pectinatum.
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Kangyou Huang, Professor Shixiao Yu and Dr Qiang Fan of School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, for assistance with the collection of plant materials. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 30270153, 30771763 and 30970290) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 011125), and the ‘100 Talent Project’ of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 0729281F02) and the ‘Outstanding Young Scientist Project’ of the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, China (Grant No. O631061H01).
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