| Abstract Detail
Population Genetics/Genomics Deans, Susan [1], Walsh, Seana K. [2], Fant, Jeremie [1]. Comparing wild and ex situ genetic diversity in two subspecies of the endemic Hawaiian tree, Hibiscus waimeae (Malvaceae). The Hawaiian Islands are home to >40% of the US’s threatened and endangered plant species in only 0.2% of the land area, which requires urgent and strategic conservation decisions to prevent additional extinctions. Ex situ conservation measures, including maintaining plants in living collections, can ensure the survival of threatened plant species while threats in native habitats are addressed. Capturing as much genetic diversity as possible in a living collection is desirable to safeguard against inbreeding depression and loss of allelic richness to genetic drift, especially when ex situ collections are maintained over many generations. We compared neutral genetic diversity of two subspecies of the endemic Hawaiian flowering tree—Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae (common) and H. waimeae subsp. hannerae (endangered)—between ex situ plants maintained in living collections and wild populations. We used 27 specimens of H. w. hannerae from three gardens and 22 specimens of H. w. waimeae from six gardens to characterize known ex situ diversity maintained in botanic garden collections globally. Wild genetic diversity was characterized from 163 individuals of H. w. hannerae from all four known remnant wild populations, and 84 individuals from four populations across the range of H. w. waimeae. Using ten microsatellite primers across all samples, we compared inbreeding (Fis), genetic differentiation (Fst), and visualized genetic diversity using Structure between ex situ and in situ collections of both taxa, as well as between the two taxa.
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1 - Chicago Botanic Garden, Science Dept, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
2 - National Tropical Botanical Garden
Keywords:
Microsatellites
population genetics
Hawaii
rare plant conservation
botanic gardens.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: POPGEN2, Population Genetics/Genomics II
Location: Tucson H/Starr Pass
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 2019
Time: 2:45 PM
Number: POPGEN2006
Abstract ID:793
Candidate for Awards:Margaret Menzel Award |
