Abstract Detail

Biogeography

Belaski, Whitney [1], Diller, Sara [2], Swanson, Brad [1].

Influence of anthropogenic planting on the phylogeography of wild rice (Zizania spp.) in Michigan.

Reduced gene flow often results from human actions and this increasing isolation of populations may pose a threat to a variety of plant species. However, excessive gene flow as a result of human actions may also modify genetic structure in plant species and could disrupt local adaptation or other genetic processes, posing another less well-recognized threat to plant species. One species that has been subject to human-mitigated dispersal is Northern wild rice, Zizania palustris, an emergent annual grass found in aquatic systems the Eastern United States. Within the state of Michigan, Z. palustris seeds have been sown by Native American tribes and state agencies to create or supplement populations. Zizania palustris likely has limited natural dispersal ability and so populations in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan may have been isolated from the populations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, known sources for planted seed, for an extended period of time. The goal of our project is to identify whether unique genetic groups are present in Michigan that are distinct from planted strains. To address this question we first investigate whether multiple distinct genetic lineages are present in Michigan using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis. Single leaves from individuals were collected in 9 populations of Z. palustris from across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. DNA extracted from each leaf was used separately for AFLP analysis (n=181) and for sequencing of two cpDNA intergenic spacers (n=77). The program Cluster was used to estimate the number of genetic clusters within the Z. palustris populations and maximum parsimony trees were constructed using cpDNA sequence data. Cluster analysis of AFLP data identified three genetic clusters in Michigan Z. palustris, with most populations consisting of a mix of the three clusters and with high levels of gene flow between populations. We suggest that anthropogenic planting is responsible for the high levels of gene flow among these populations, and that the genetic clusters may represent a native Michigan genotype and genotypes introduced from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Maximum parsimony trees identified two distinct clades for both loci, but there was no clear correspondence between the AFLP genetic clusters and cpDNA genetic clades. This is suggestive of differential rates of pollen and seed movement and could indicate increased nuclear gene flow between cpDNA lineages that were historically isolated.

1 - Central Michigan University, Biology, 152 Brooks Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA
2 - Central Michigan University, Biology, 217 Brooks Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

Keywords:
Zizania.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Biogeography Posters
Location: Exhibit Hall/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 1st, 2016
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 5:30 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PBG005
Abstract ID:329
Candidate for Awards:None