LUTZ, ANDREW W and ANDREA D WOLFE.* Department Evolution Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Ave., Columbus OH, 43210. - Genetic diversity on the endemic Penstemon caryi Pennel. using ISSR Markers.
Penstemon caryi (Scrophulariaceae) is an endemic of the Big
Horn Mountains of Wyoming and the Pryor Mountains of Montana. The
species is ecologically restricted to exposed limestone outcrops that
occur infrequently throughout the region. Twenty-five individuals from
fifteen populations of P. caryi were collected across the
entire range of this species. Ten of these populations were collected
for The Nature Conservancy's Tensleep Preserve, which occurs at the
southern extent of the species range. The remaining five populations
were collected from the remaining range of the species at intervals of
fifteen to twenty-five miles. Five inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR)
markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of this species
using Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA). The relationship between
genetic distance and geographic distance has also been investigated.
Results form these analyses, in conjunction with a larger ecological
study, will be used to determine conservation strategies for this
species on Nature Conservancy lands.
Key words: Conservation Genetics, Genetic Diversity, ISSR, Penstemon caryi, Population Genetics