You are here:
CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI IN SCHOENOPLECTUS AMERICANUS (CYPERACEAE)
Citation:
BLUM, M. J., J. S. MCLACHLAN, C. J. SAUNDERS, AND J. D. HERRICK. CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI IN SCHOENOPLECTUS AMERICANUS (CYPERACEAE). MOLECULAR ECOLOGY NOTES. Blackwell Publishing Limited, Oxford, Uk, 5:661-663, (2005).
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this task is to develop molecular indicators to evaluate the integrity and sustainability of aquatic fish, invertebrate, and plant communities (GPRA goal 4.5.2). Specifically, this subtask aims to evaluate methods for the measurement of:
fish and invertebrate community composition, especially for morphologically indistinct (cryptic) species
population genetic structure of aquatic indicator species and its relationship to landscape determinants of population structure (to aid in defining natural assessment units and to allow correlation of population substructure with regional stressor coverages)
genetic diversity within populations of aquatic indicator species, as an indicator of vulnerability to further exposure and as an indicator of cumulative exposure
patterns of temporal change in genetic diversity of aquatic indicator species, as a monitoring tool for establishing long-term population trends.
Description:
Schoenoplectus americanus is a model organism for studying ecological and ecosystem responses of salt marsh plant communities to global climate change. Here we characterize 16 microsatellite loci in S. americanus to facilitate studies on the genetic basis of phenotypic responses to changing climate conditions such as elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Most loci also amplified in the morphologically similar sister species, S. pungens. Five loci exhibited species-specific alleles or distinct allelic size distributions that discriminate S. americanus from S. pungens.