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Li Y, Cui M, Le X, Gong J, Jiang K, Tong X, Zhang Q, Li J, Li H, Lu L, Zou J, Wang R, Chen X. Genetic structure shows the presence of small-scale management units in a relict tree species. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10500. [PMID: 37706160 PMCID: PMC10495812 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying conservation units is crucial for the effective conservation of threatened species. Previous cases are almost exclusively based on large-scale but coarse sampling for genetic structure analyses. Significant genetic structure can occur within a small range, and thus multiple conservation units may exist in narrowly distributed plants. However, small-scale genetic structure is often overlooked in conservation planning especially for wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed trees, largely due to the absence of dense and elaborate sampling. In this study, we focused on a representative endangered relict plant, Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Using both nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) fragments, we sampled across the narrow distribution range of this species and determined its conservation units by exploring its genetic structure and historical demography. cpDNA haplotypes were classified into two groups, but mixed in space, suggesting that the existent wild trees of M. glyptostroboides cannot be divided into different evolutionarily significant units. However, using nSSRs, we detected strong spatial genetic structure, with significant genetic differentiation and weak gene flow between the samples in the east of the species' distribution range and other samples. The divergence between the two nSSR groups was dated to the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 19.6 kya), suggesting that such spatial genetic structure has been maintained for a long term. Therefore, these two nSSR groups should be considered as different conservation units, that is, management units, to protect intergroup genetic variations, which is likely to be the outputs of local adaptation. Our findings highlight the necessity to reveal small-scale genetic structure and population demography to improve the conservation strategies of evolutionary potential of endangered plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan‐Yuan Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Institute of Eco‐Chongming (IEC)ShanghaiChina
| | - Min‐Yan Cui
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiao‐Wei Le
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jun Gong
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Kai Jiang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant ResourcesShanghai Chenshan Botanical GardenShanghaiChina
| | - Xin Tong
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant ResourcesShanghai Chenshan Botanical GardenShanghaiChina
| | - Qian Zhang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jia‐Hui Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Hong‐Yue Li
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ling Lu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jie Zou
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Rong Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Plant InnovationShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological SecurityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiao‐Yong Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco‐Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Plant InnovationShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological SecurityShanghaiChina
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High genetic diversity in American chestnut (Castanea dentata) despite a century of decline. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01473-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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