ABSTRACT. The use of simple sequence repeats (SSRs), or microsatellites, as genetic markers has become popular due to their abundance and variation in length among individuals. In this study, we investigated linkage groups (LGs) in the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) and demonstrated variation in the abundances, densities, and relative densities of mononucleotide, dinucleotide, and trinucleotide repeats. Mononucleotide, dinucleotide, and trinucleotide repeats were more common than longer repeats in all LGs examined. Perfect SSRs were the predominant SSR type found and their abundance was extremely stable among LGs and chloroplasts. Abundances of mononucleotide, dinucleotide, and trinucleotide repeats were positively correlated with LG size, whereas those of tetranucleotide and hexanucleotide SSRs were not. Generally, in each LG, the abundance, relative abundance, relative density, and the proportion of each unique SSR all declined rapidly as the repeated unit increased. Furthermore, the lengths and frequencies of SSRs varied among different LGs.

IntroductionContinued discovery of “mismatch” patterns between population size and genetic diversity, involving wild species such as insects, amphibians, birds, mammals, and others, has raised issues about how population history, especially recent dynamics under human disturbance, affects currently standing genetic variation. Previous studies have revealed high genetic diversity in endangered Jankowski’s Bunting. However, it is unclear how the demographic history and recent habitat changes shape the genetic variation of Jankowski’s Bunting.MethodsTo explore the formation and maintenance of high genetic diversity in endangered Jankowski’s Bunting, we used a mitochondrial control region (partial mtDNA CR) and 15 nuclear microsatellite markers to explore the recent demographic history of Jankowski’s Bunting, and we compared the historical and contemporary gene flows between populations to reveal the impact of habitat change on population connectivity. Specifically, we aimed to test the following hypotheses: (1) Jankowski’s Bunting has a large historical Ne and a moderate demographic history; and (2) recent habitat change might have no significant impact on the species’ population connectivity.ResultsThe results suggested that large historical effective population size, as well as severe but slow population decline, may partially explain the high observable genetic diversity. Comparison of historical (over the past 4Ne generations) and contemporary (1–3 generations) gene flow indicated that the connectivity between five local populations was only marginally affected by landscape changes.DiscussionOur results suggest that high population connectivity and a moderate history of demographic decline are powerful explanations for the rich genetic variation in Jankowski’s Bunting. Although there is no evidence that the genetic health of Jankowski’s Bunting is threatened, the time-lag effects on the genetic response to recent environmental changes is a reminder to be cautious about the current genetic characteristics of this species. Where possible, factors influencing genetic variation should be integrated into a systematic framework for conducting robust population health assessments. Given the small contemporary population size, inbreeding, and ecological specialization, we recommend that habitat protection be maintained to maximize the genetic diversity and population connectivity of Jankowski’s Bunting.