| Abstract Detail
Genetics Section Rogenski, Christina [1], Smith, Marian [1], Esselman, Elizabeth [1]. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat Diversity of Astragalus crassicarpus var. trichocalyx in Illinois and Missouri Populations. ASTRAGALUS crassicarpus Nutt. var. trichocalyx (Nutt.) Barneby is a perennial plant that occurs in the southeastern part of the Great Plains on prairies, open oak woodlands, limestone hills and riverbanks. The species was considered extirpated from Illinois until it was rediscovered in 1987 on a limestone bluff in Jersey County; it is now on the state list of endangered plant species. A. crassicarpus var. trichocalyx populations in Illinois are small; each population is restricted to a small area of each prairie site; each is separated by geographical barriers from others, which severely restricts gene flow or seed dispersal between populations; the sites themselves are fragile due to the encroachment of woody species; and all sites occur within a small geographic area. All of these factors increase the threat of extinction for the species. Conversely, the species exists in several large, widely distributed populations in Missouri. If conservation strategies are to be developed, either to safeguard the existing populations or to introduce A. crassicarpus var. trichocalyx to other prairie habitats in Illinois, an understanding of the genetic variation of the species, which determines how well a population can respond to changes in the environment, is essential. The purpose of this research is to determine if the isolated populations of A. crassicarpus var. trichocalyx in Illinois have lower genetic diversity than a larger, more successful population in Missouri. Using ISSR’s (inter simple sequence repeats) we determined that genetic variation within each of three small populations in Illinois was significantly less than in the large Missouri population.
Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Southern Illinois University, Department of Biological Sciences, Box 1651, Edwardsville, Illinois, 62026-1651, USA
Keywords:
endangered
Astragalus
Illinois.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: 48-83
Location: Auditorium/Bell Memorial Union
Date: Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
Time: 12:30 PM
Abstract ID:206 |
