Dataset Information

Conservation implications of genetic structure in the narrowest endemic quillwort from the Eastern Amazon.

ABSTRACT: The quillwort Isoëtes cangae is a critically endangered species occurring in a single lake in Serra dos Carajás, Eastern Amazon. Low genetic diversity and small effective population sizes (N _e) are expected for narrow endemic species (NES). Conservation biology studies centered in a single species show some limitations, but they are still useful considering the limited time and resources available for protection of species at risk of extinction. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity, population structure, N _e, and minimum viable population (MVP) of I. cangae to provide information for effective conservation programs. Our analyses were based on 55 individuals collected from the Amendoim Lake and 35,638 neutral SNPs. Our results indicated a single panmictic population, moderate levels of genetic diversity, and N _e in the order of thousands, contrasting the expected for NES. Negative F_IS values were also found, suggesting that I. cangae is not under risk of inbreeding depression. Our findings imply that I. cangae contains enough genetic diversity to ensure evolutionary potential and that all individuals should be treated as one demographic unit. These results provide essential information to optimize ex situ conservation efforts and genetic diversity monitoring, which are currently applied to guide I. cangae conservation plans.

SUBMITTER: Dalapicolla J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8328431 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Conservation implications of genetic structure in the narrowest endemic quillwort from the Eastern Amazon.

Dalapicolla Jeronymo J Alves Ronnie R Jaffé Rodolfo R Vasconcelos Santelmo S Pires Eder Soares ES Nunes Gisele Lopes GL Pereira Jovani Bernardino de Souza JBS Guimarães José Tasso F JTF Dias Mariana C MC Fernandes Taís Nogueira TN Scherer Daniela D Dos Santos Fernando Marino Gomes FMG Castilho Alexandre A Santos Mirella Pupo MP Calderón Emiliano Nicolas EN Martins Rodrigo Lemes RL da Fonseca Rodrigo Nunes RN Esteves Francisco de Assis FA Caldeira Cecílio Frois CF Oliveira Guilherme G

Ecology and evolution 20210713 15

The quillwort Isoëtes cangae is a critically endangered species occurring in a single lake in Serra dos Carajás, Eastern Amazon. Low genetic diversity and small effective population sizes (N e) are expected for narrow endemic species (NES). Conservation biology studies centered in a single species show some limitations, but they are still useful considering the limited time and resources available for protection of species at risk of extinction. Here, we evaluated the ge ...[more]

PMID: 34367563

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Project description:Genetic structure can be a consequence of recent population fragmentation and isolation, or a remnant of historical localised adaptation. This poses a challenge for conservationists since misinterpreting patterns of genetic structure may lead to inappropriate management. Of 17 species of reptile originally found in Mauritius, only five survive on the main island. One of these, Phelsuma guimbeaui (lowland forest day gecko), is now restricted to 30 small isolated subpopulations following severe forest fragmentation and isolation due to human colonisation. We used 20 microsatellites in ten subpopulations and two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers in 13 subpopulations to: (i) assess genetic diversity, population structure and genetic differentiation of subpopulations; (ii) estimate effective population sizes and migration rates of subpopulations; and (iii) examine the phylogenetic relationships of haplotypes found in different subpopulations. Microsatellite data revealed significant population structure with high levels of genetic diversity and isolation by distance, substantial genetic differentiation and no migration between most subpopulations. MtDNA, however, showed no evidence of population structure, indicating that there was once a genetically panmictic population. Effective population sizes of ten subpopulations, based on microsatellite markers, were small, ranging from 44 to 167. Simulations suggested that the chance of survival and allelic diversity of some subpopulations will decrease dramatically over the next 50 years if no migration occurs. Our DNA-based evidence reveals an urgent need for a management plan for the conservation of P. guimbeaui. We identified 18 threatened and 12 viable subpopulations and discuss a range of management options that include translocation of threatened subpopulations to retain maximum allelic diversity, and habitat restoration and assisted migration to decrease genetic erosion and inbreeding for the viable subpopulations.

Dataset Information

Conservation implications of genetic structure in the narrowest endemic quillwort from the Eastern Amazon.

Publications

Conservation implications of genetic structure in the narrowest endemic quillwort from the Eastern Amazon.

Similar Datasets

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