Patterns of allozyme variation in relation to population size of the threatened plantMegaleranthis saniculifolia (Ranunculaceae) in Korea

Patterns of variation at 27 allozyme loci were investigated in the endangered endemic plantMegaleranthis saniculifolia. Levels of allozyme variation (A = 1.47,P = 40%,He = 0.088) were also compared with other endemic plant species. Genetic divergence between populations was very high (G ^st = 0.271 ), with moderate to high interpopulation differentiation, which probably arose through historical bottlenecks in a landscape of habitat fragmentation and/or human influence. The percentage of polymorphic loci, heterozygosity, and mean number of alleles per locus were positively related to population size, probably due to the stochastic loss of rare alleles in the smaller populations. Individuals in the small and marginal populations (TB, KD, and CJ) showed higher proportions of fixed loci. These ecologically marginal populations were typically more distant from the nearest neighboring population and were more genetically distinct from one another. The genetic structure of the current population ofM. saniculifolia is probably the result of local extinctions of intervening populations. This, in turn, is due to the Pleistocene climatic change and increased habitat destruction. A positive association appears to exist between genetic diversity and population size. Although these small population sizes are more sensitive to stochastic events, securing a certain number of individuals from the three larger populations (SB, JB, and TG) could be accomplished as part of a conservation strategy. In addition, it is important to prioritize populations in different regions in order to limit population declines caused by large-scale environmental catastrophes.