Genetic diversity and structure of the endangered lady's slipper orchid Cypripedium japonicum Thunb. (Orchidaceae) in Japan

• Published in: Population ecology Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 54 - 63
• Main Authors: Yamashita, Yumi, Satoh, Natsuki, Kurosawa, Takahide, Kaneko, Shingo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-01-2023; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Conservation; Cypripedium; Endangered & extinct species; endangered species; Environmental degradation; ex situ conservation; Fragmentation; Genetic diversity; Genetic drift; Genetic markers; genetic structure; Genetic variation; Habitat loss; Herbs; Horticulture; microsatellite markers; Microsatellites; Orchidaceae; Population decline; Population genetics; Populations; Reproduction (biology); Sexual reproduction; Structural analysis; Wildlife conservation; Japan
• ISSN: 1438-3896; 1438-390X
• DOI: 10.1002/1438-390X.12134

Cypripedium japonicum Thunb. (Orchidaceae), once a common perennial herb, is now designated as endangered throughout most of its distribution due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, and the impacts of horticultural collection. We investigated the genetic characteristics of this species for conservation purposes, using microsatellite markers to examine the genetic diversity and structure of 15 native and 5 ex situ populations in Japan. The results imply that although allelic variation is low in Japanese C. japonicum, sexual reproduction by seed, as well as clonal propagation, may occur in some populations. Both native and ex situ populations were found to be genetically differentiated, indicating that some populations may have experienced recent population declines, genetic fragmentation, or bottlenecks. The degree of genetic drift from the putative ancestral population, inferred through STRUCTURE analysis, was more pronounced in northern populations than in southern populations. Some of the ex situ conserved populations exhibited a low degree of differentiation from ancestral native populations. Our results imply that conservation of C. japonicum in Japan is best supported by maintaining individual populations and their unique genetic characteristics.
We investigated the genetic characteristics of Cypripedium japonicum Thunb. using microsatellite markers to examine the genetic diversity and structure of 15 native and 5 ex situ populations in Japan. The results imply that although allelic variation is low in Japanese C. japonicum, sexual reproduction by seed, as well as clonal propagation, may occur in some populations. Both native and ex situ populations were found to be genetically differentiated, indicating that some populations may have experienced recent population declines, genetic fragmentation, or bottlenecks. The degree of genetic drift from the putative ancestral population, inferred through STRUCTURE analysis, was more pronounced in northern populations than in southern populations.