Leaf traits and insect herbivory levels in two Mediterranean oaks and their hybrids through contrasting environmental gradients.

Insect herbivory has attracted enormous attention from researchers due to its effects on plant fitness. However, there remain questions such as what are the most important leaf traits that determine consumption levels, whether there are latitudinal gradients in herbivore pressure, or whether there are differences in susceptibility between hybrids and their parental species. In this work we address all these issues in two species of Mediterranean Quercus (Q.

Phylogeography and ecological differentiation of strictly Mediterranean taxa: the case of the Iberian endemic Odontites recordonii.

Premise: Ecological drivers for genetic differentiation in Mediterranean climates are still underexplored. We have used the strictly Mediterranean endemic Odontites recordonii as a model species to address this question. This species is one of the three Iberian representatives of the O.

Genetic similarities versus morphological resemblance: Unraveling a polyploid complex in a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot.

The Balkan Peninsula is recognized as one of the hotspots of biodiversity in Europe. This area has shown since the Last Glacial Maximum appropriate conditions for species diversification and hybridization, which has led to the existence of numerous taxonomically unresolved entities. Here, we focus on the Western Balkans and explore the genetic structure and relationships among species belonging to the V.

Environmental differences are correlated with the distribution pattern of cytotypes in Veronica subsection Pentasepalae at a broad scale.

Background And Aims: The distribution of cytotypes and its potential correlation with environmental variables represent a cornerstone to understanding the origin and maintenance of polyploid lineages. Although many studies have addressed this question in single species at a regional scale, only a few have attempted to decipher this enigma in groups of closely related species at a broad intercontinental geographical scale. Here, we consider approx.

Phylogeography of an endangered disjunct herb: long-distance dispersal, refugia and colonization routes.

Quaternary glacial cycles appear to have had a consistent role in shaping the genetic diversity and structure of plant species. Despite the unusual combination of the characteristics of the western Mediterranean-Macaronesian area, there are no studies that have specifically examined the effects of palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic factors on the genetic composition and structure of annual herbs. is a disjunct endemic found in the easternmost Canary Islands and the semi-arid areas of north-eastern Africa and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula.

SSR markers for subg. (Gnaphalieae: Asteraceae) and cross-amplification in three other subgenera.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the first time in the genus (Gnaphalieae: Asteraceae). These markers will facilitate low-scale phylogenetic, phylogeographic, and population genetic studies within the genus .

Methods And Results: Ten pairs of polymorphic microsatellite primers (as well as five pairs of monomorphic primers) were identified and optimized on two species of ( and ) using a microsatellite-enrichment library method and 454 GS-FLX technique.

Microsatellite marker development for the tetraploid (Plantaginaceae) using next-generation sequencing and high-resolution melting analyses.

Premise Of The Study: The tetraploid (Plantaginaceae) is a narrow endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Specific microsatellite markers were developed to investigate genetic structure and diversity.

Methods And Results: A total of 15 polymorphic markers were characterized on three populations of , using a microsatellite-enriched library on an Ion Torrent sequencer and high-resolution melting (HRM) analyses to rapidly discard nonreliable, multicopy, and/or monomorphic loci.

Divide and conquer! Data-mining tools and sequential multivariate analysis to search for diagnostic morphological characters within a plant polyploid complex (Veronica subsect. Pentasepalae, Plantaginaceae).

This study exhaustively explores leaf features seeking diagnostic characters to aid the classification (assigning cases to groups, i.e. populations to taxa) in a polyploid plant-species complex.

The challenge of species delimitation in the diploid-polyploid complex Veronica subsection Pentasepalae.

A reliable taxonomic framework and the identification of evolutionary lineages are essential for effective decisions in conservation biodiversity programs. However, phylogenetic reconstruction becomes extremely difficult when polyploidy and hybridization are involved. Veronica subsection Pentasepalae is a diploid-polyploid complex of ca.

Development of 14 microsatellite markers in Odontites vernus s.l. (Orobanchaceae) and cross-amplification in related taxa.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite primers were developed for the first time in the root hemiparasite herb Odontites vernus (Orobanchaceae). These markers will be useful to investigate the role of polyploidization in the evolution of this diploid-tetraploid complex, as well as the extent of gene flow between different ploidy levels.

Methods And Results: Fourteen polymorphic and reproducible loci were identified and optimized from O.

Designing conservation strategies to preserve the genetic diversity of Astragalus edulis Bunge, an endangered species from western Mediterranean region.

Astragalus edulis (Fabaceae) is an endangered annual species from the western Mediterranean region that colonized the SE Iberian Peninsula, NE and SW Morocco, and the easternmost Macaronesian islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura). Although in Spain some conservation measures have been adopted, it is still necessary to develop an appropriate management plan to preserve genetic diversity across the entire distribution area of the species. Our main objective was to use population genetics as well as ecological and phylogeographic data to select Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation (RGUCs) as the first step in designing conservation plans for A.

Characterization of 12 polymorphic SSR markers in Veronica subsect. Pentasepalae (Plantaginaceae) and cross-amplification in 10 other subgenera.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the perennial herbs of the diploid-polyploid complex Veronica subsect. Pentasepalae (Plantaginaceae) to investigate the role that hybridization has played in the evolution of the group, which includes several endangered species.

Methods And Results: Twelve pairs of primers leading to polymorphic and readable markers were identified and optimized from V.

Habitat fragmentation in arid zones: a case study of Linaria nigricans under land use changes (SE Spain).

Habitat fragmentation due to human activities is one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss. In Mediterranean areas the species have co-evolved with traditional farming, which has recently been replaced for more severe and aggressive practices. We use a methodological approach that enables the evaluation of the impact that agriculture and land use changes have for the conservation of sensitive species.

Systematic significance of seed morphology in veronica (plantaginaceae): a phylogenetic perspective.

Background And Aims: A new infrageneric rearrangement for Veronica has been proposed based on the most recent evidence from DNA sequence data, morphological evidence, and biogeographical considerations. Looking for morphological synapomorphies for each monophyletic subgenus has been problematic, due to difficulties arising from widespread homoplasy (mainly parallel evolution). In an attempt to overcome these difficulties, previously underexplored morphological characters are starting to be studied in more depth.