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© 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Stewartia ovata (cav.) Weatherby, commonly known as mountain stewartia, is an understory tree native to the southeastern United States (U.S.). This relatively rare species occurs in isolated populations in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. As a species, S. ovata has largely been overlooked, and limited information is available regarding its ecology, which presents obstacles to conservation efforts. Stewartia ovata has vibrant, large white flowers that bloom in summer with a variety of filament colors, suggesting potential horticultural traits prized by ornamental industry. However, S. ovata is relatively slow growing and, due to long seed dormancy, propagation is challenging with limited success rates. This has created a need to assess the present genetic diversity in S. ovata populations to inform potential conservation and restoration of the species. Here, we employ a genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) approach to characterize the spatial distribution and genetic diversity of S. ovata in the southern Appalachia region of the eastern United States. A total of 4475 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across 147 individuals from 11 collection sites. Our results indicate low genetic diversity (He = 0.216), the presence of population structure (K = 2), limited differentiation (FST = 0.039), and high gene flow (Nm = 6.16) between our subpopulations. Principal component analysis corroborated the findings of STRUCTURE, confirming the presence of two distinct S. ovata subpopulations. One subpopulation mainly contains genotypes from the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, while the other consists of genotypes present in the Great Smoky Mountain ranges in Tennessee, North Carolina, and portions of Nantahala, Chattahoochee‐Oconee national forests in Georgia, highlighting that elevation likely plays a major role in its distribution. Our results further suggested low inbreeding coefficient (FIS = 0.070), which is expected with an outcrossing tree species. This research further provides necessary insight into extant subpopulations and has generated valuable resources needed for conservation efforts of S. ovata.

Details

Title
Genetic diversity and population structure of a rare flowering tree endemic to Appalachia, Stewartia ovata
Author
Yadav, L. K. 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bellis, D. 1 ; Smith, Z. C. 1 ; Ony, M. 1 ; Hale, C. 2 ; Richards, C. 3 ; Klingeman, W. E. 4 ; Staton, M. E. 1 ; Granger, J. J. 5 ; Hadziabdic, D. 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA 
 Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA 
 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA 
 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA 
 Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA 
Section
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Jun 1, 2024
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
e-ISSN
20457758
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3072243710
Copyright
© 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.