Genetic diversity and conservation status of Helianthus verticillatus, an endangered sunflower of the Southern United States

Evaluating species diversity and patterns of population genetic variation is an essential aspect of conservation biology to determine appropriate management strategies and preserve the biodiversity of native plants. Habitat fragmentation and potential habitat loss are often an outcome of a reduction in naturally occurring wildfires and controlled prescribed burning, as seen in Helianthus verticillatus (whorled sunflower). This endangered, wild relative of the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus, is endemic to four locations in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, United States. Despite its endangered status, there is no recovery plan for H. verticillatus, and knowledge related to its basic plant biology and importance in ecosystem services is mostly unknown. In this study, we utilized 14 microsatellite loci to investigate fine-scale population structure and genetic diversity of H. verticillatus individuals found on two sampling sites within the Georgia population. Our results indicated mode...

评估物种多样性与种群遗传变异模式，是保护生物学中制定合理管理策略、保护本土植物生物多样性的核心环节。栖息地碎片化与潜在的栖息地丧失，往往是自然野火与计划性受控焚烧减少所导致的结果，这一点在轮叶向日葵（Helianthus verticillatus）中体现得尤为明显。作为普通向日葵（Helianthus annuus）的濒危野生近缘种，轮叶向日葵仅自然分布于美国阿拉巴马州、佐治亚州和田纳西州的四处原生栖息地。尽管处于濒危状态，目前尚无针对轮叶向日葵的物种恢复计划，其基础植物生物学特性以及在生态系统服务中的价值，目前仍鲜为人知。本研究利用14个微卫星位点，对佐治亚州种群内两处采样点发现的轮叶向日葵个体进行了精细种群结构与遗传多样性分析。本研究结果显示出……