Abstract Detail

Systematics Section/ASPT

Lefler, Julia [1], Willyard, Ann [2].

Phylogeography of Jeffrey Pine in the Klamath Mountains.

In the Klamath Mountains (California and Oregon) and in the Sierra Nevada (California and Nevada), there are many poorly understood variations within several accepted species of Pinus. Forest geneticists have long recognized that there are localized populations of pines that have adaptations to different soil types, rainfall patterns, and elevation. Hybridization between sympatric pine species can occur, but it is unknown how much this might contribute to their adaptations. One particular species, Pinus jeffreyi Balfour (Jeffrey pine) hybridizes at a very low frequency with P. ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson (ponderosa pine) in two different parts of their geographic ranges. One area is at high elevations near Washoe pine populations in Northeast California and Northwest Nevada. Another area is in the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada and nearby Transverse Mountains. No assessment of their hybridization has been made in the Klamath Mountains. The Jeffrey pine in the Klamath range is potentially unique from other Jeffrey pine populations because they are adapted to serpentine soils, which are challenging for most plants to grow in due to their low calcium: magnesium ratio. A unique mitochondrial lineage was recently reported in the ponderosa pines of the Klamath Mountains. This raised the possibility that Jeffrey pine might have transferred a mitochondrial haplotype to ponderosa pine in this region. I surveyed the mitochondrial lineage of Jeffrey pine in the Klamath Mountains and also compared the genetic isolation of Jeffrey pine populations in the Klamath populations from the remaining geographic range using plastid simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs). I used these findings and other data to build a phylogeographic hypothesis for Jeffrey pine across its entire range.

1 - Hendrix College, Biology, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA
2 - Hendrix College, Biology Dept, 1600 Washington Ave, Conway, AR, 72032, USA

Keywords:
pinus
hybridization
cpSSR
mitochondrial DNA.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY006
Abstract ID:375
Candidate for Awards:None