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Genetic variation

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Capturing Genetic Variation During Ecological Restorations: An Example From Kankakee Sands In Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan, Deborah L. Marr, Andrew Schnabel Apr 2010

Capturing Genetic Variation During Ecological Restorations: An Example From Kankakee Sands In Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan, Deborah L. Marr, Andrew Schnabel

Rebecca W. Dolan

Genetic variation in populations, both natural and restored, is usually considered crucial for response to short term environmental stresses and for long term evolutionary change. To have the best chance of successful long-term survival, restored populations should reflect the extant variation found in remnants, but restored sites may suffer from genetic bottlenecks as a result of founder effects. Kankakee Sands is a large-scale restoration being conducted by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in northwestern Indiana. Our goal was to test for loss of genetic variation in restored plant populations by comparing them with TNC’s seed source nursery and with local remnant …


Capturing Genetic Variation During Ecological Restorations: An Example From Kankakee Sands In Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan, Deborah L. Marr, Andrew Schnabel Apr 2010

Capturing Genetic Variation During Ecological Restorations: An Example From Kankakee Sands In Indiana, Rebecca W. Dolan, Deborah L. Marr, Andrew Schnabel

Rebecca W. Dolan

Genetic variation in populations, both natural and restored, is usually considered crucial for response to short term environmental stresses and for long term evolutionary change. To have the best chance of successful long-term survival, restored populations should reflect the extant variation found in remnants, but restored sites may suffer from genetic bottlenecks as a result of founder effects. Kankakee Sands is a large-scale restoration being conducted by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in northwestern Indiana. Our goal was to test for loss of genetic variation in restored plant populations by comparing them with TNC’s seed source nursery and with local remnant …


Genetic Variation In Past And Current Landscapes: Conservation Implications Based On Six Endemic Florida Scrub Plants, Eric S. Menges, Rebecca W. Dolan, Robert Pickert, Rebecca Yahr, Doria R. Gordon Mar 2010

Genetic Variation In Past And Current Landscapes: Conservation Implications Based On Six Endemic Florida Scrub Plants, Eric S. Menges, Rebecca W. Dolan, Robert Pickert, Rebecca Yahr, Doria R. Gordon

Rebecca W. Dolan

If genetic variation is often positively correlated with population sizes and the presence of nearby populations and suitable habitats, landscape proxies could inform conservation decisions without genetic analyses. For six Florida scrub endemic plants (Dicerandra frutescens, Eryngium cuneifolium, Hypericum cumulicola, Liatris ohlingerae, Nolina brittoniana, and Warea carteri), we relate two measures of genetic variation, expected heterozygosity and alleles per polymorphic locus (APL), to population size and landscape variables. Presettlement areas were estimated based on soil preferences and GIS soils maps. Four species showed no genetic patterns related to population or landscape factors. The other two species showed significant but inconsistent …


Patterns Of Isozyme Variation In Relation To Population Size, Isolation, And Phytogeographic History In Royal Catchfly, Rebecca W. Dolan Mar 2010

Patterns Of Isozyme Variation In Relation To Population Size, Isolation, And Phytogeographic History In Royal Catchfly, Rebecca W. Dolan

Rebecca W. Dolan

The distribution of genetic variation within and among plant populations is influenced by both contemporary and historical factors. I used isozyme analysis of band phenotypes to examine genetic structure in the rare prairie forb Silene regia. Relationships between current-day population size, isolation, and phenotypic variation were assessed for 18 populations in two regions with differing postglacial history. Western populations from unglaciated southern Missouri and Arkansas were more genetically diverse based on the Shannon-Weaver index (H) and a polymorphic index than were more eastern populations. These differences may be due to loss of variation with repeated founding of new populations in …


Conservation Implications Of Genetic Variation In Three Rare Species Endemic To Florida Rosemary Scrub, Rebecca W. Dolan, Rebecca Yahr, Eric S. Menges, Matthew Halfhill Mar 2010

Conservation Implications Of Genetic Variation In Three Rare Species Endemic To Florida Rosemary Scrub, Rebecca W. Dolan, Rebecca Yahr, Eric S. Menges, Matthew Halfhill

Rebecca W. Dolan

Habitat conversion and fire suppression during the last 50 yr have greatly reduced and altered Florida scrub vegetation, resulting in threats to the persistence of its unique flora. As part of a larger conservation project, we investigated patterns of isozyme variation in three rare perennial scrub plants with overlapping ranges endemic to Florida rosemary scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge. All three species have low levels of genetic variation, comparable to or lower than those generally reported for rare plants with restricted geographic ranges. Liatris ohlingerae has more than twice the expected heterozygosity of the other two species, with little …


Conservation Implications Of Genetic Variation In Three Rare Species Endemic To Florida Rosemary Scrub, Rebecca W. Dolan, Rebecca Yahr, Eric S. Menges, Matthew Halfhill Mar 2010

Conservation Implications Of Genetic Variation In Three Rare Species Endemic To Florida Rosemary Scrub, Rebecca W. Dolan, Rebecca Yahr, Eric S. Menges, Matthew Halfhill

Rebecca W. Dolan

Habitat conversion and fire suppression during the last 50 yr have greatly reduced and altered Florida scrub vegetation, resulting in threats to the persistence of its unique flora. As part of a larger conservation project, we investigated patterns of isozyme variation in three rare perennial scrub plants with overlapping ranges endemic to Florida rosemary scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge. All three species have low levels of genetic variation, comparable to or lower than those generally reported for rare plants with restricted geographic ranges. Liatris ohlingerae has more than twice the expected heterozygosity of the other two species, with little …


Genetic Change Following Fire In Populations Of A Seed-Banking Perennial Plant, Rebecca W. Dolan, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, Eric S. Menges Apr 2009

Genetic Change Following Fire In Populations Of A Seed-Banking Perennial Plant, Rebecca W. Dolan, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio, Eric S. Menges

Rebecca W. Dolan

Disturbances such as fire have the potential to remove genetic variation, but seed banks may counter this loss by restoring alleles through a reservoir effect. We used allozyme analysis to characterize genetic change in two populations of the perennial Hypericum cumulicola, an endemic of the fire-prone Florida scrub. We assessed genetic variation before and 1, 2, and 3 years after fire that killed nearly all aboveground plants. Populations increased in size following fire, with most seedlings likely recruited from a persistent seed bank. Four of five loci were variable. Most alleles were present in low frequencies, but our large sample …