Genetic diversity and structure in the rare Colorado endemic plant Physaria bellii Mulligan (Brassicaceae)

Physaria bellii (Brassicaceae) is a rare, outcrossing perennial endemic to shale and sandstone outcrops along the Front Range of northern Colorado, USA. This species is locally abundant, but ranked G2/S2—imperiled because of threats to its habitat and a small number of populations—according to NatureServe’s standardized ranking system. Leaf tissue from ten populations was analyzed with ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) markers to discern the amount of genetic diversity and degree of population subdivision in P. bellii. Genetic diversity was moderate (0.22) and a moderately high degree of population structure was found (F _ST calculated using two algorithms ranged from 0.17 to 0.24). An AMOVA partitioned most of the variation among individuals within populations (76%), and the remainder among populations (24%). Results from a Principal Coordinates analysis were consistent with the geographic distribution of populations. A Mantel test of the correlation between genetic and geographic distances was highly significant (P < 0.001). The pattern of variation thus appears to be distributed along a gradient, and efforts to conserve this species should involve preserving enough populations so that gene flow between populations is not interrupted.