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Conservation genetics of Butte County meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica Arroyo), an endangered vernal pool endemic

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Abstract

The endangered annual plant Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica Arroyo is restricted to vernal pools in Butte County, California. To identify populations with unique genetic resources, guide reintroduction efforts, and design seed collection scenarios for long-term ex situ seed storage we determined extant genetic diversity and structure by surveying 457 individuals from 21 distinct populations using nine polymorphic microsatellite markers. We found low within population genetic diversity: low allelic diversity (1.9 [0.06 SE] alleles/locus); low heterozygosity (H obs = 0.10 ± 0.018, H exp = 0.19 ± 0.015), and a high fixation index (0.556 ± 0.044). The number of polymorphic loci ranged between 11 and 89%. Bayesian ordination determined 20 distinct populations and we found high genetic structure among these (F st = 0.65, P < 0.0001). We identified notable gene flow barriers across populations, confirming regional structuring between three previously defined population density centers and two outlying populations (F st = 0.21, P < 0.0001). Population size estimates ranged between ~50 and >5,000 extant plants per site. Our study confirms previous isozyme-based results and suggests that the loss of any population would represent a significant loss in the species’ genetic diversity. Recovery requires active restoration of existing populations and permanent habitat protection. We recommend close comparison of microhabitats of declining populations with genetically similar populations, to determine the potential for human assisted gene flow via seed movement to recover declining populations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service & the Butte Environmental Council (Agreement No.: 814208J123) for funding support. We greatly acknowledge field assistant Nicole Luke, and Hattie Brown who greatly assisted in genotype scoring and quality control. We thank Dr. Debra Ayres for manuscript review, and Dr. Derek Girman for use of the Sonoma State Core DNA Facility. We further acknowledge the many local experts land managers and landowners who helped locate and obtain access to a majority of the extant sites of Butte County meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica): Jenny Marr (DFG), Chris Clifford (Center for Natural Lands Management), Clif Sellers (formerly City of Chico), Jim Mann (Rural Consulting) Samantha Hillaire, Dr. Patrick Shea (Wildlife Heritage Foundation), Riley Swift & Enoc Vega (Restoration Resources), Tom DiGiovanni (New Urban Builders), Brendan Vieg (City of Chico), Jim Kohler (Chico Municipal Airport), Rod Macdonald, David Kelley and the information reported by Dole (unpublished study).

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  1. San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, 735 B Center Blvd., Fairfax, CA, 94930, USA

    Christina M. Sloop

  2. Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, 1801 E. Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA, 94928, USA

    Christina M. Sloop, Carolina Pickens & Sarah P. Gordon

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  1. Christina M. Sloop
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Correspondence to Christina M. Sloop.

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Sloop, C.M., Pickens, C. & Gordon, S.P. Conservation genetics of Butte County meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica Arroyo), an endangered vernal pool endemic. Conserv Genet 12, 311–323 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0142-4

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