title: Surviving in isolation: genetic variation, bottlenecks and reproductive strategies in the Canarian endemic Limonium macrophyllum (Plumbaginaceae).
abstract: Oceanic archipelagos are typically rich in endemic taxa, because they offer ideal conditions for diversification and speciation in isolation. One of the most remarkable evolutionary radiations on the Canary Islands comprises the 16 species included in Limonium subsection Nobiles, all of which are subject to diverse threats, and legally protected. Since many of them are single-island endemics limited to one or a few populations, there exists a risk that a loss of genetic variation might limit their long-term survival. In this study, we used eight newly developed microsatellite markers to characterize the levels of genetic variation and inbreeding in L. macrophyllum, a species endemic to the North-east of Tenerife that belongs to Limonium subsection Nobiles. We detected generally low levels of genetic variation over all populations (HT= 0.363), and substantial differentiation among populations (FST= 0.188; RST= 0.186) coupled with a negligible degree of inbreeding (F = 0.042). Obligate outcrossing may have maintained L. macrophyllum relatively unaffected by inbreeding despite the species' limited dispersal ability and the genetic bottlenecks likely caused by a prolonged history of grazing. Although several factors still constitute a risk for the conservation of L. macrophyllum, the lack of inbreeding and the recent positive demographic trends observed in the populations of this species are factors that favour its future persistence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland. ares.jimenez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ares
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weigelt
authors.affiliation: Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, Calle Guaidil 16, 38280, Tegueste, Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Jardín Botánico Canario "Viera y Clavijo" - Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Camino al palmeral 15, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Juli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caujapé-Castells
authors.affiliation: Island Ecology and Biogeography Research Group, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38109, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conti
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant; D056426:Genetic Loci; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D007178:Inbreeding; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D029606:Plumbaginaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D060047:Reproductive Isolation
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant
keywords: Conservation; Genetic diversity; Islands; Macaronesia; Microsatellites; Sea lavender