title: Genetic diversity and population differentiation of Calanthe tsoongiana, a rare and endemic orchid in China.
abstract: Calanthe tsoongiana is a rare terrestrial orchid endemic to China, and this species has experienced severe habitat loss and fragmentation. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were employed to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation of six populations of C. tsoongiana. Based on 124 discernible fragments yielded by eleven selected primers, high genetic diversity was revealed at the species level; however, genetic diversity at the population level was relatively low. High-level genetic differentiation among populations was detected based on analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), indicating potential limited gene flow. No significant relationship was observed between genetic and geographic distances among the sampled populations. These results suggested that restricted gene flow might be due to habitat fragmentation and reduced population size as a result of human activities. Based on the findings, several conservation strategies were proposed for the preservation of this threatened species.
authors.affiliation: Research Institution of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 73, Daqiao Road, Fuyang 311400, Zhejiang, China. tmin115@126.com.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Cai-xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D051456:Gene Flow / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D029595:Orchidaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics; D011156:Population Density