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AFLP and ISSR analysis reveals high genetic variation and inter-population differentiation in fragmented populations of the endangered Litsea szemaois (Lauraceae) from Southwest China

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Abstract

Litsea szemaois (Lauraceae) is an endemic and endangered species from the tropical rain forests of Xishuangbanna, southern Yunnan, SW China, but habitat fragmentation, especially exacerbated by rubber planting, has caused a decline in population size of the species. AFLP and ISSR were used to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of eight populations from across its known distribution. Three AFLP and ten ISSR primer combinations produced a total of 203 and 77 unambiguous and repeatable bands respectively, of which 164 (80.8%) and 67 (87.0%) were polymorphic for the two markers. These two markers showed that Litsea szemaois exhibits comparatively high genetic diversity at species level (heterozygosity (hs) = 0.2109) relative to some other Lauraceae. Most of the genetic variation was partitioned within populations, but genetic differentiation between populations was significant and relatively high (Φ st = 0.2420, θB = 0.1986) compared with other tropical plants. The genetic characteristics of L. szemaois may be related to its outbreeding system, insect pollination and fragmented distribution. Because L. szemaois is dioecious and slow to mature, ex situ conservation across its genetic diversity is unlikely to succeed, although seedlings grow well under cultivation. Thus, in situ conservation is very important for this endangered species, especially as only 133 adult individuals are known in the wild. In particular, the Nabanhe and Mandian populations should be given a high conservation priority due to their higher genetic diversity, larger population size and better field condition, but wider sampling is required across all populations to determine additional areas with significant genetic conservation value.

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Acknowledgments

Guo-Da Tao and Hsi-Wen Li are thanked for their assistance with field collection, and we are indebted to Fu-Min Zhang for access to the software DCFA 1.1. We are also grateful to Song Ge, Yun-Qian Hu, Long-Qian Xiao, Hong-Mei Li, Shu-Li Wang and Zhi-Ming Li for their helpful suggestions, and Barbara Rudolph and Kristina Groth from University of Hamburg for comments and changes to an earlier manuscript. John Conran from The University of Adelaide is thanked for assistance with the current manuscript. The project “Conservation Genetics of Litsea szemaois” from the program “the Light of Western China” of CAS, and The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 30470123) jointly funded this work.

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  1. Laboratory of Plant Phylogenetics and Conservation Biology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China

    Xiu-qin Ci, Jun-qiu Chen, Qiao-ming Li & Jie Li

  2. The Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100039, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Xiu-qin Ci & Jun-qiu Chen

  3. 88 Xuefu Rd., Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Li

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  1. Xiu-qin Ci
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Correspondence to Jie Li.

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Ci, Xq., Chen, Jq., Li, Qm. et al. AFLP and ISSR analysis reveals high genetic variation and inter-population differentiation in fragmented populations of the endangered Litsea szemaois (Lauraceae) from Southwest China. Plant Syst Evol 273, 237–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-008-0012-4

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