Spatiotemporal monitoring of the rare Northern dragonhead, Dracocephalum ruyschiana (Lamiaceae): SNP genotyping and environmental niche modelling herbarium specimens

Aim: We have studied spatiotemporal genetic change in the Northern dragonhead, a plant species that has experienced a drastic population decline and habitat loss in Europe. We add a temporal perspective to the monitoring of dragonhead in Norway by genotyping herbarium specimens up to 200 years old. We also assess whether dragonhead has achieved its potential distribution in Norway. Location: Europe (mainly Norway)
Methods: We have applied a microfluidic array consisting of 96 SNP markers on 130 herbarium specimens collected from 1820 to 2008, mainly from Norway (83) but also beyond (47). We have compared our new genotype data with existing data from modern samples. We have modelled the species’ environmental niche and potential distribution in Norway using sample metadata and observational records.
Results: The SNP array successfully genotyped all included herbarium specimens. The captured genetic diversity was negatively correlated with distance from Norway. The historical-modern compa...