Genetic structure of Tetraclinis articulata, an endangered conifer of the western Mediterranean basin

Abstract

(2013). Genetic structure of Tetraclinis articulata, an endangered conifer of the western Mediterranean basin. Silva Fennica vol. 45 no. 5 article id 1073. 14 p. Highlights• The employment of ISSR molecular markers has shown moderate genetic diversity and high genetic differentiation in Tetraclinis articulata.• Genetic structure of populations seems to be influenced by the anthropogenic use of this species since historical times, or alternatively, by the complex palaeogeographic history of the Mediterranean basin.• Results could be used to propose management policies for conservation of populations. AbstractTetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters is a tree distributed throughout the western Mediterranean basin. It is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list, and protected by law in several of the countries where it grows. In this study we examined the genetic diversity and genetic structure of 14 populations of T. articulata in its whole geographic range using ISSR (inter simple sequence repeat) markers. T. articulata showed moderate genetic diversity at intrapopulation level and high genetic differentiation. The distribution of genetic diversity among populations did not exhibit a linear pattern related to geographic distances, since all analyses (principal coordinate analysis, Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram and Bayesian structure analysis) revealed that spanish population grouped with Malta and Tunisia populations. Although it is possible that T. articulata earlier was natural in Southeast Spain, results suggest that the current population has been reintroduced into the Iberian Peninsula in historical times, due to its utility in mining and building. In addition, results could be used to propose management guidelines for the conservation of T. articulata.

Genetic structure and phylogeography of Juniperus phoenicea complex throughout Mediterranean and Macaronesian regions: different stories in one

“…Nevertheless, interpopulation genetic differentiation is quite common in Mediterranean conifers, e.g., in Abies cilicica (Antoine and Kotschy) Carrière (Sękiewicz et al 2015) Cupressus sempervirens L. (Korol et al 1997), J. dupracea M. Bieb. (Sobierajska et al 2016; J. thurifera L. (Jiménez et al 2003;Terrab et al 2008), and Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters (Sánchez-Gómez et al 2013). The reason for this wide differentiation must be the fragmentation of populations caused by the profound geologic and climatic changes that occurred throughout the Mediterranean Basin.…”

Genetic diversity of ten Moroccan populations of Tetraclinis articulata as revealed by Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers

“…Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters consists of a monotypic Mediterranean genus of the Cupressaceae family, located in northern Africa and southern Spain (Rourke, 1991). Because of its rareness in Malta, the species is listed in the red list and protected by low (Sánchez-Gómez et al, 2013). In Morocco, the coniferous occupy the most substantial extent estimated to 566,000 ha and thrive in various climates but highly represented in the semiarid and hot climates (Benabid, 1984) with an elevation of 1,000-1,100 m in shady areas and 1,500-1,700 m in sunny areas (Morte and Honrubia, 1996).…”

Genetic diversity of Lithuanian populations of Juniperus communis L. in relation to abiotic and biotic factors

“…Direct comparison of separate studies is difficult due to numerous factors, influencing genetic diversity (species breeding system, geographical range, etc. ; Sanchez-Gomez et al, 2013). Distinct ISSR primer sets applied in different investigations might also be one of the reasons in result bias: all seven primers used for J. brevifolia by Silva et al (2011) were the same as in our examination, while only three primers corresponded to the ones used in J. brevifolia survey (Bettencourt et al, 2015).…”

“…For Lithuanian populations of J. communis Mantel test showed significant moderate correlation between geographic and ISSR-based genetic distances and all individuals were correctly allocated to their populations by cluster analysis. ISSR data of J. brevifolia showed no statistically significant genetic structure by geographic distance (Bettencourt et al, 2015), while low correlations were detected comparing ISSR and geography variables for the other conifer genera (Sanchez-Gomez et al, 2013).…”