Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The genetic consequences of rarity in the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Conservation Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Habitat loss is a major driver of species extinction globally. The tallgrass prairie habitat of the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara) has been almost entirely converted to cropland; greatly reducing and fragmenting P. praeclara populations. As a result P. praeclara now occurs in small populations that are often separated by tens of kilometers, that may be vulnerable to genetic isolation, loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding. To investigate the genetic diversity and genetic isolation of P. praeclara we used six microsatellite loci in eight populations located in Minnesota and North Dakota. Evidence of genetic divergence among the populations was found; the overall GST was 0.081. A Principal component analysis of six of the populations showed two centrally located populations were more divergent from each other than the other populations. Two populations located a greater distance from each other than to other populations were the most genetically similar. A structure analysis showed an optimal K of 5 populations, with the two central populations genetically distinct from each other and all other populations. Significant inbreeding was shown to occur in these populations. The average FI S value (0.230) indicated a level of inbreeding comparable with other self-compatible plants. The populations of P. praeclara are not significantly isolated but may suffer inbreeding depression as a result of small population size.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ægisdóttir H, Kuss P, Stöcklin J (2009) Isolated populations of a rare alpine plant show high genetic diversity and considerable population differentiation. Ann Bot 104:1313–1322

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander BW (2006) An analysis of seed production, viability, germination in situ, and grazing impacts on the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara, Sheviak and Bowles). Doctoral Dissertation, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

  • Alexander BW, Kirby D, Biondini M, Dekeyser E (2010) Cattle grazing reduces survival and reproduction of the western prairie fringed orchid. Prairie Nat 42:46–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Allendorf FW, Luikart G (2007) Conservation and the Genetics of Populations. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, pp 199–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Arditti J, Ghani AKA (2000) Numerical and physical properties of orchid seeds and their biological implications. New Phytol 145:367–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avise JC (2004) Molecular markers natural history and evolution, 2nd edn. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, pp 257–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffy KJ, Johnson SD (2014) Male interference with pollination efficiency in a hermaphroditic orchid. J Evol Biol 27:1751–1756

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Earl DA, vonHoldt BM (2011) STRUCTURE HARVESTER: a website and program for visualizing STRUCTURE output and implementing the Evanno method. Conserv Genet Res. doi:10.1007/s12686-011-9548-7

    Google Scholar 

  • Environment Canada (2006) Recovery strategy for the western prairie fringed-orchid (Platanthera praeclara) in Canada, vol 22, Species at risk act recovery strategy series. Environment Canada, Ottawa

  • Evanno G, Regnaut S, Goudet J (2005) Detecting the number of clusters of individuals using the software STRUCTURE: a simulation study. Mol Ecol 14:2611–2620

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan Q, Chen S, Zhou R, Xiang X, Liao W, Shi S (2011) Genetic variation of wild litchi (Litchi chinensis sonn. subsp. chinensis) revealed by microsatellites. Conserv Genet 12:753–760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox K, Vitt P, Anderson K, Fauske G, Travers S, Vik D, Harris MO (2013) Pollination of a threatened orchid by an introduced hawkmoth species in the tallgrass prairie of North America. Biol Conserv 167:316–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankham R (2005) Genetics and extinction. Biol Conserv 126:131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goudet J (1995) FSTAT (Version 1.2): a computer program to calculate F-Statistics. J Hered 86:485–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges SA (1995) The influence if nectar production on hawkmoth behavior, self pollination, and seed production in Mirabilis multiflora (Nyctaginaceae). Am J Bot 82:197–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacquemyn H, Brys R, Vandepitte K, Honnay O, Roldán-Ruiz I, Weigand T (2007) A spatially explicit analysis of seedling recruitment in the terrestrial orchid Orchis purpurea. New Phytol 176:448–459

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jersáková J, Malinová T (2007) Spatial aspects of seed dispersal and seedling recruitment in orchids. New Phytol 176:237–241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson SD, Torninger E, Agren J (2009) Relationships between population size and pollen fates in a moth-pollinated orchid. Biol Lett 5:282–285

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kettle CJ, Hollingsworth PM, Jaffre´ T, Moran B, Ennos RA (2007) Identifying the early genetic consequences of habitat degradation in a highly threatened tropical conifer, Araucaria nemorosa Laubenfels. Mol Ecol 16:3581–3591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kropf M, Renner SS (2008) Pollinator-mediated selfing in two deceptive orchids and a review of pollinium tracking studies addressing geitonogamy. Oecologia 155:497–508

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kull T (1988) Identification of clones in Cypripedium calceolus (Orchidaceae). Proc Estonian Acad Sci Biol 37:195–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Kull T (1999) Cypripedium calceolus L. J Ecol 87:913–924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menz MHM, Phillips RD, Anthony JM, Bohman B, Dixon KW, Peakall R (2015) Ecological and genetic evidence for cryptic ecotypes in a rare sexually deceptive orchid, Drakaea elastica. Bot J Linn Soc 177:124–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalski SG, Durka W (2007) High selfing and high inbreeding depression in peripheral populations of Juncus atratus. Mol Ecol 16:4715–4727

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murren CJ, Ellison AM (1998) Seed dispersal characteristics of Brassavola nodosa (Orchidaceae). Am J Bot 85:675–680

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nei M (1973) Analysis of gene diversity in subdivided populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci 70:3321–3323

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson LA, Rabakonandrianina E, Pettersson B (1992) Exact tracking of pollen transfer and mating in plants. Nature 360:666–668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oetting WS, Lee HK, Flanders DJ, Wiesner GL, Sellers TA, King RA (1995) Linkage analysis with multiplexed short tandem repeat polymorphisms using infrared fluorescence and M13 tailed primers. Genomics 30:450–458

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oosterhout CV, Hutchinson WF, Derek PW, Shipley P (2004) Micro-checker: software for identifying and correcting genotyping errors in microsatellite data. Mol Ecol Res 4:535–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Peakall R, Smouse PE (2012) GenAlEx 6.5: genetic analysis in excel. Population genetic software for teaching and research-an update. Bioinformatics 28:2537–2539

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips RD, Dixon KW, Peakall R (2012) Low population genetic differentiation in the Orchidaceae: implications for selection driven diversification of orchids. Mol Ecol 21:5208–5220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pleasants JM, Klier K (1995) Genetic variation within and among populations of eastern and western prairie fringed orchids, Platanthera leucophaea and P. praeclara. Report to the Iowa DNR

  • Pritchard JK, Stephens M, Donnelly P (2000) Inference of population structure using multilocus genotype data. Genetics 155:945–959

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen HN (1995) Terrestrial orchids—from seed to mycothropic plant. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond M, Rousset F (1995) GENEPOP (version 1.2): population genetics software for exact tests and ecumenicism. J Hered 86:248–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice WR (1989) Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43:223–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts DL (2003) Pollination biology: the role of sexual reproduction in orchid conservation. In: Dixon KW, Kell SP, Barrett RL, Cribb PJ (eds) orchid conservation. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, pp 113–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross AA, Aldrich-Wolfe L, Lance S, Glenn T, Travers S (2013) Microsatellite markers in the western prairie fringed orchid Platanthera praeclara (Orchidaceae). Appl Plant Sci 1(4). doi:10.3732/apps.1200413

  • Rousset F (2008) GENEPOP′007: a complete re-implementation of the GENEPOP software for Windows and Linux. Mol Ecol Res 8:103–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Setsuko S, Ishida K, Ueno S, Tsumura Y, Tomaru N (2007) Population differentiation and gene flow within a metapopulation of a threatened tree, Magnolia stellata (Magnoliaceae). Am J Bot 94:128–136

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma J (2002) Mycobionts, germination and conservation genetics of federally threatened Platanthera praeclara (Orchidaceae). PhD. Dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

  • Sharma J, Zettler LW, Van Sambeek JW, Ellersieck MR, Starbuck CJ (2003) Symbiotic seed germination and mycorrhizae of federally threatened Platanthera praeclara (Orchidaceae). Am Mid Nat 149:104–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sieg CH (1992) Five years following the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara) on the Sheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota. In: Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conference, Department of Parks and Recreation, Windsor, Canada, pp 141–146

  • Soulé ME (1986) Conservation biology, the science of scarcity and diversity. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, pp 19–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Swarts ND, Sinclair EA, Krauss SL, Dixon KW (2009) Genetic diversity in fragmented populations of the critically endangered spider orchid Caladenia huegelii: implications for conservation. Conserv Genet 10:1199–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trapnell DW, Hamrick JL, Nason JD (2004) Three-dimensional fine-scale genetic structure of the neotropical epiphytic orchid, Laelia rubescens. Mol Ecol 13:1111–1118

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle JP (2007) The Hawkmoths of North America. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington DC, p 21

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service (1989) Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: determination of threatened status for Platanthera leucophaea (eastern prairie fringed orchid) and Platanthera praeclara (western prairie fringed orchid). Fed Reg 54:39857–39862

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1996) Platanthera praeclara (western prairie fringed orchid) recovery plan. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ft. Snelling

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2009) Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara) 5-Year Review Summary and Evaluation, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Wallace LE (2003) The cost of inbreeding in Platanthera leucophaea (Orchidaceae). Am J Bot 90:235–242

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young A, Boyle T, Brown T (1996) The population genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation for plants. Trends Ecol Evol 11:413–418

  • Zimmerman M (1988) Nectar production, flower phenology, and strategies for pollination. In: Doust JL, Doust LD (eds) Plant reproductive ecology patterns and strategies, 5th edn. Oxfor University Press, New York, pp 157–170

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Nature Conservancy, Adriane Cooper, Marion Harris, Kirk Anderson, Nancy Sather, Laura Aldrich-Wolfe and Phil Delphy for their assistance. Funding was provided by The San Diego Orchid Society and the National Science Foundation (EPSCoR): Grant EPS0814442 to NDSU.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven E. Travers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ross, A.A., Travers, S.E. The genetic consequences of rarity in the western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara). Conserv Genet 17, 69–76 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0761-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0761-x

Keywords

Navigation