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Abstract Detail



Conservation Biology

Ballou, Steven [1], Murin, Paige [1], Mandel, Jennifer [2].

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Nabalus serpentarius and its Common Congener, N. trifoliolatus (Asteraceae).

Nabalus serpentarius (Pursch) Hooker, originally Prenanthes serpentaria also known as Lion’s Foot, is a perennial, herbaceous plant that typically inhabits recently disturbed areas, sand plains, grasslands, and heathlands. It is native to the Eastern portion of the United States and in Massachusetts it is listed as endangered. On the island of Nantucket, there are known populations of N. serpentarius and a strong conservation effort making the island an ideal location to conduct a population genetic study to better understand distribution of alleles within and among populations and build a conservation plan to protect the greatest diversity possible. To better understand the genetic diversity within N. serpentarius populations, a common (non-endangered), related species, Nabalus trifoliolatus, was similarly studied. The purpose of this common congener is to elucidate the likely structure of populations of a non-endangered Nabalus. Leaf tissue was collected from at least 20 individuals from four populations of N. serpentarius and five populations of N. trifoliolatus. From these samples, DNA was extracted and PCR was performed on a test set of samples from each species using primers for ten 17 microsatellite loci developed for a species in the same tribe, Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion). Eleven of the primers successfully produced an amplicon of similar size to the dandelion sample. These primers were used to amplify corresponding DNA fragments in all DNA extracted. The resulting data will be used for genetic analysis and assessment of population structure and diversity with the intent to inform conservation agencies on the island of Nantucket which populations need the greatest attention.


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1 - University of Memphis, 3720 Alumni Ave, Memphis, Tennessee, 38152, United States
2 - 3744 Walker Ave, 339 Ellington Hall, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States

Keywords:
Nabalus
conservation
congener
population genetics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: CB1, Conservation Ecology 1
Location: Tucson B/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: CB1009
Abstract ID:145
Candidate for Awards:None


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