Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i>
Although the usage of genetic data for the conservation management of threatened species is growing rapidly, the assessment of the trajectory and persistence of ex situ and in situ populations suffers from a lack of monitoring of genetic indicators. To fill this gap, we conducted a comparative analy...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Anna Rucińska Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska Piotr Tomasz Bednarek Maja Boczkowska Jerzy Puchalski Piotr Androsiuk Ewa Czaplicka |
| author_facet | Anna Rucińska Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska Piotr Tomasz Bednarek Maja Boczkowska Jerzy Puchalski Piotr Androsiuk Ewa Czaplicka |
| author_sort | Anna Rucińska |
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| description | Although the usage of genetic data for the conservation management of threatened species is growing rapidly, the assessment of the trajectory and persistence of ex situ and in situ populations suffers from a lack of monitoring of genetic indicators. To fill this gap, we conducted a comparative analysis of the genetic structure ex situ and its source population of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> to improve conservation outcomes for this species. <i>C. polonica</i>, as a range-restricted endemic species in Poland, exists in the wild in a single reintroduced population, which was the source for establishing an ex situ population in the botanical garden, and both populations have been well studied in abundance time series until the extinction of artificial populations due to genetic constraints. We collected AFLP data from individuals sampled after the peak recovery phase following the founder effect in the ex situ population, as well as from the source population, to assess the genetic consequences of long-term cultivation. The genetic profile of both populations suggested their strong differentiation. The genetic variation in the ex situ population expressed by Shannon’s Information Index and expected heterozygosity (He) was approximately half that of the source population. While ex situ population growth was high, the gene pool was homogenised, and genetic diversity waned, leading to its extinction across merely 5–6 generations. Thus, the only reintroduced population of <i>C. polonica</i> left in the wild is more threatened with extinction than previously thought, and conservation action should be taken immediately. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-edd90c121e324518ba3f5160fd802edd2025-08-20T03:26:17ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372025-06-0114668110.3390/biology14060681Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i>Anna Rucińska0Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska1Piotr Tomasz Bednarek2Maja Boczkowska3Jerzy Puchalski4Piotr Androsiuk5Ewa Czaplicka6Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden—Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandPlant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, 05-870 Błonie, PolandPlant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, 05-870 Błonie, PolandPolish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden—Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, PolandPolish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden—Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warsaw, PolandAlthough the usage of genetic data for the conservation management of threatened species is growing rapidly, the assessment of the trajectory and persistence of ex situ and in situ populations suffers from a lack of monitoring of genetic indicators. To fill this gap, we conducted a comparative analysis of the genetic structure ex situ and its source population of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> to improve conservation outcomes for this species. <i>C. polonica</i>, as a range-restricted endemic species in Poland, exists in the wild in a single reintroduced population, which was the source for establishing an ex situ population in the botanical garden, and both populations have been well studied in abundance time series until the extinction of artificial populations due to genetic constraints. We collected AFLP data from individuals sampled after the peak recovery phase following the founder effect in the ex situ population, as well as from the source population, to assess the genetic consequences of long-term cultivation. The genetic profile of both populations suggested their strong differentiation. The genetic variation in the ex situ population expressed by Shannon’s Information Index and expected heterozygosity (He) was approximately half that of the source population. While ex situ population growth was high, the gene pool was homogenised, and genetic diversity waned, leading to its extinction across merely 5–6 generations. Thus, the only reintroduced population of <i>C. polonica</i> left in the wild is more threatened with extinction than previously thought, and conservation action should be taken immediately.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/681ex situ conservationbotanical gardenconservation geneticsbottleneck effectthreatened speciesendemic species |
| spellingShingle | Anna Rucińska Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska Piotr Tomasz Bednarek Maja Boczkowska Jerzy Puchalski Piotr Androsiuk Ewa Czaplicka Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> Biology ex situ conservation botanical garden conservation genetics bottleneck effect threatened species endemic species |
| title | Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> |
| title_full | Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> |
| title_fullStr | Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> |
| title_short | Halfway Through Ex Situ Population Genetic Lifespan: The Case of <i>Cochlearia polonica</i> |
| title_sort | halfway through ex situ population genetic lifespan the case of i cochlearia polonica i |
| topic | ex situ conservation botanical garden conservation genetics bottleneck effect threatened species endemic species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/681 |
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