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Extremely low genetic diversity of the northern limit populations of Nypa fruticans (Arecaceae) on Iriomote Island, Japan

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Abstract

The population genetic patterns of a species at its range limits have important implications for species conservation. Geographically marginal populations are expected to have lower genetic diversity and higher genetic differentiation than geographically central populations. Nypa fruticans is a mangrove palm which is widely distributed from tropical to subtropical zone of Southeast Asia and Oceania. For N. fruticans, Iriomote Island in Japan represents the most northern limit of the distribution of the species. We examined the genetic variation based on 11 microsatellite markers from all 137 known ramets of N. fruticans on Iriomote Island in comparison with the more central population. Adult ramets on Iriomote Island were composed entirely of one multilocus genotype in each population and had no genetic diversity within the populations. The formation of each population by vegetative propagation from only one immigrant individual was considered to be the method of reproduction. In addition, the new juvenile which were found on the opposite side of the island possessed different alleles from other ramets in the island. This indicates that the transfer of a new genotype from another location abroad can take place. The analyses provided useful information for the continued monitoring of the demography and genetic status of these populations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Mikio Kashima for assistance in the collection of the plant material. We are also grateful to Dr. Goro Kokubugata (National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan), Ms. Auriea Lopez-Feliciano (Isabela State University, the Philippines) and Ms. Mina L. Labuguen (Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, the Philippines) for their assistance in the collection of plant materials in the Philippines. We also thank Dr. Tohru Naruse (University of the Ryukyus, Japan) and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable discussions and helpful supports on this article. This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI, no. 24923005) to S.I and the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (S9) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan to Y.S.

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Author notes

  1. Kyoko Sugai

    Present address: Department of Wildlife Biology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iriomote Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 870 Uehara, Taketomi, Yaeyama, Okinawa, 907-1541, Japan

    Kyoko Sugai, Shin Watanabe, Shinya Imura & Keiichi Ishigaki

  2. Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan

    Taiki Kuishi & Yoshihisa Suyama

  3. Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Masatsugu Yokota

  4. Iriomote Forest Ecosystem Conservation Center, Kyushu Regional Forest Office, 55-4 Tonoshiro, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0004, Japan

    Shinichi Yanagawa

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  1. Kyoko Sugai
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  2. Shin Watanabe
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Correspondence to Kyoko Sugai.

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Kyoko Sugai and Shin Watanabe have contributed equally to this work.

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Sugai, K., Watanabe, S., Kuishi, T. et al. Extremely low genetic diversity of the northern limit populations of Nypa fruticans (Arecaceae) on Iriomote Island, Japan. Conserv Genet 17, 221–228 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0773-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0773-6

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