AOBPreview originally published online on November 16, 2004
Annals of Botany 2005 95(2):305-313; doi:10.1093/aob/mci027
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Annals of Botany 95/2 © Annals of Botany Company 2004; all rights reserved
Genetic Structure of the Endangered Plant Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) from the Zhoushan Archipelago Using RAPD Markers
1 Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China and 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
* For correspondence. E-mail anshq{at}nju.edu.cn
Received: 2 April 2004 Returned for revision: 15 July 2004 Accepted: 20 September 2004 Published electronically: 16 November 2004
Background and Aims The Zhoushan archipelago is the largest archipelago in China. It separated from the mainland about 9000 years ago due to rising sea levels and climate change. Because of the long-term influences of human activities, the original forest vegetation on the large islands has been badly damaged and its plant diversity reduced.
Methods Levels and patterns of genetic diversity in 114 individuals from six natural populations and four cultivated populations of the insular endangered plant Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) on the Zhoushan archipelago were assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.
Key Results A total of 99 discernible loci were obtained for all populations using ten primers, 50·5 % of which were polymorphic [percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) = 50·5 %]. Despite being a woody, long-lived, perennial, outcrossing and insect-pollinated plant, N. sericea exhibited low levels of genetic variation. The cultivated populations (PPB = 18·9 %, HE = 0·060, S = 0·092) were genetically less diverse than the natural populations (PPB = 23·1 %, HE = 0·082, S = 0·123). Based on analysis of molecular variance, a high degree of among-population differentiation was revealed for both natural (0·387) and cultivated populations (0·598).
Conclusions Removal of plants from the wild for horticulture purposes has eroded the level of genetic variation of N. sericea. Low levels of genetic diversity and a high degree of population differentiation indicate that management strategies should include conservation of natural habitats occupied by all six wild populations, and sampling of germplasm resources from multiple seed sources.
Key words: Conservation management, endangered plant, genetic structure, Neolitsea sericea, RAPD, Zhoushan archipelago