Genetic diversity and genetic structure of an endangered species, eriocaulon nudicuspe, growing in artifical disturbing habitats

Abstract

Eriocaulon nudicuspe (Eriocauloaceae) is an endangered species in Japan. Habitats of the species are lost by city development. So many conservation areas are established in Aichi Prefecture, and protection activities are done by many natural protecting groups, and the extinction rate in recent years is being decelerated. But many protecting groups often transplanted from some other places, and genetic disturbance was a problem. We sampled 12 populations of the species from nature reserved areas, and studied them for allelic variation at 17 enzyme loci. There was no significant correlation between the real distance of conserved areas and genetic distances, suggesting that the gene disturbances occurred in these areas especially in frequently managed areas. On the other hand, the degree of the genetic differentiation at strictly conserved area where conservation management is done only once a year was high and there was no evidence about genetic disturbances. There was a possibility peculiar genetic disappearance of each habitat for genetic disturbance, and the necessity with which a guideline of protection activity is made was indicated.