High interpopulation genetic differentiation and unidirectional linear migration patterns in Myricaria laxiflora (Tamaricaceae), an endemic riparian plant in the Three Gorges Valley of the Yangtze River

Myricaria laxiflora is restricted to the riverbanks of the Yangtze River valley and will be completely lost owing to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Genetic diversity and structure of nine natural and one ex situ populations were investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). A moderate level of gene diversity was found in natural populations, while the ex situ population had the highest. The F statistics calculated by different approaches consistently revealed a high genetic differentiation among natural populations, contributing >45% of the total gene diversity. The Bayesian-based analysis differentiated nine independent populations in accordance with the sites sampled. Estimates of gene flow by F(ST) and coalescent-based simulation analysis indicated a restricted recurrent gene exchange among populations (Nm = 0.290-0.401), whereas genetic distance-based clustering and coalescent-based assignment analyses revealed significant genetic isolation among populations. The migration pattern in M. laxiflora is best explained by a classical metapopulation model, but with a unique unidirectional direction underlined by hydrochoric force that drove dispersal of seeds and propagules from upstream toward downstream populations. Previous efforts in preserving genomic integrity in ex situ conservation were evaluated, and the results provide valuable information to formulate conservation guidelines for successfully reintroducing M. laxiflora to the wild.