Abstract
BackgroundStudying population genetic structure and gene flow of plant populations and their influencing factors is of particular significance in the field of conservation biology, especially important for species such as rare and endangered plants. Tetraena mongolica Maxim. (TM), belongs to Zygophyllaceae family, a rare and endangered plant with narrow distribution. However, for the last decade, due to excessive logging, urban expansion, industrial and tourism development, habitat fragmentation and loss of natural habitats have become major threats to the population of endangered plants.ResultsIn this study, genetic diversity, population genetic structure and gene flow of TM populations were evaluated by reduced representation sequencing technology, and a total of more than 133.45 GB high-quality clean reads and 38,097 high-quality SNPs were generated. Analysis based on multiple methods, we found that the existing TM populations have moderate levels of genetic diversity, and very low genetic differentiation as well as high levels of gene flow between populations. Population structure and principal coordinates analysis showed that 8 TM populations can be divided into two groups. The Mantel test detected no significant correlation between geographical distances and genetic distance for the whole sampling. Moreover, the migration model indicated that the gene flow is more of a north to south migration pattern in history.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that the present genetic structure is mainly due to habitat fragmentation caused by urban sprawl, industrial development and coal mining. Our recommendation with respect to conservation management is that, all 8 populations should be preserved as a whole population, rather than just those in the core area of TM nature reserve. In particular, the populations near the edge of TM distribution in cities and industrial areas deserve our special protection.
Highlights
Studying population genetic structure and gene flow of plant populations and their influencing factors is of particular significance in the field of conservation biology, especially important for species such as rare and endangered plants
The above data indicate that Tetraena mongolica Maxim. (TM) had moderate level of genetic diversity on the whole
Several genetic diversity parameters from our study indicated whether 8 TM populations are considered as a whole, or populations separately, the finding only showed moderate levels of genetic diversity, which is largely different from the conclusion of Zhi et al [26]
Summary
Studying population genetic structure and gene flow of plant populations and their influencing factors is of particular significance in the field of conservation biology, especially important for species such as rare and endangered plants. The study of genetic structure and gene flow play an important part in understanding the genetic characteristics and the dynamics of population, especially, those rare and endangered species with a limited geographical range. This is mainly because their populations are more vulnerable to damage, and gene flow is considered one of the most important determinants of the genetic structure of plant populations [1]. Some research have shown that gene flow among populations or individuals even within areas that comprise largely natural habitat can be restricted by urban development [3], leading to habitat degradation and fragmentation [4]
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