Detecting Augmentation In A Metapopulation Of The Federally Endangered Southern Appalachian Endemic Geum Radiatum Michx.
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Morgan Gaglianese-Woody (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
- Advisor
- Matt Estep
Abstract: Populations of rare and endemic plants are often small and fragmented, and they face numerous threats to their persistence. Many of these species exhibit lower levels of genetic diversity and are at risk of inbreeding and its downstream consequences. Rapid environmental change and subsequent habitat loss within dispersal ranges challenge conservationists’ efforts to ensure species persistence. Managing such species necessitates an approach that incorporates genetic and demographic factors. Geum radiatum Michx. (Spreading Avens, Rosaceae) is a rare cliff-dwelling endemic restricted to fifteen fragmented populations above 1500 meters along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. This long-living perennial has been listed as federally endangered since 1990 and is considered imperiled (G2) in North Carolina and critically imperiled (G1) in Tennessee. Due to its restricted range and unique life history, this plant species is at risk of extinction within the century, with anthropogenic climate change and habitat loss exacerbating the threat. Twenty years following augmentation of a G. radiatum metapopulation, a population structure and genetic diversity analysis of all G. radiatum populations identified putative hybrid offspring of augmented and native plants in the metapopulation. This study aimed to identify hybrids and detect the genetic structure of the augmentation. Although the study was limited by marker number and quality, it provides insights for future directions in identifying hybrids and later evaluating the impact of this historical augmentation on hybrid fitness.
Detecting Augmentation In A Metapopulation Of The Federally Endangered Southern Appalachian Endemic Geum Radiatum Michx.
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Created on 1/30/2024
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Gaglianese-Woody, M. (2023). Detecting Augmentation In A Metapopulation Of The Federally Endangered Southern Appalachian Endemic Geum Radiatum Michx.. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- Hybrids, Population genetics, Augmentation, Southern Appalachian endemic, Geum radiatum, Metapopulation