Surviving in isolation: genetic variation, bottlenecks and reproductive strategies in the Canarian endemic Limonium macrophyllum (Plumbaginaceae)

Oceanic archipelagos are typically rich in endemic taxa, because they offer ideal conditions for diversification and speciation in isolation. One of the most remarkable evolutionary radiations on the Canary Islands comprises the 16 species included in Limonium subsection Nobiles, all of which are subject to diverse threats, and legally protected. Since many of them are single-island endemics limited to one or a few populations, there exists a risk that a loss of genetic variation might limit their longterm survival. In this study, we used eight newly developed microsatellite markers to characterize the levels of genetic variation and inbreeding in L. macrophyllum, a species endemic to the North-east of Tenerife that belongs to Limonium subsection Nobiles. We detected generally low levels of genetic variation over all populations (HT = 0.363), and substantial differentiation among populations (FST = 0.188;RST = 0.186) coupled with a negligible degree of inbreeding (F = 0.042). Obligate outcrossing may have maintained L. macrophyllum relatively unaffected by inbreeding despite the species’ limited dispersal ability and the genetic bottlenecks likely caused by a prolonged history of grazing. Although several factors still constitute a risk for the conservation of L. macrophyllum, the lack of inbreeding and the recent positive demographic trends observed in the populations of this species are factors that favour its future persistence

Critical Friends And The Evolving Terminal Degree

Doctoral level programs (known in the United Kingdom as “level 8,�? in Australia as “level 10,�? and within the European area’s Bologna Agreement as “third cycle�?) make possible an institution’s capacity to produce innovative research and new knowledge (Holley, 2013). The focus on innovative research fuels an emphasis on creativity in research, which Walsh, Anders, Hancock, and Elvidge (2011) juxtaposed against the focus on impact—especially in the “‘strategically important’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines�? (p. 1260). The current international policy debate on higher education and more specifically the doctoral program is delineated by two paths—the knowledge creation path and the knowledge incorporation path—both of which lead to the final destination of contributing to the knowledge-based economy. Our decision to juxtapose knowledge creation against knowledge incorporation dynamically recognizes the changing doctoral landscape and the evolving relationship between societal needs and doctoral programs

Dissertation In Practice: Reconceptualizing The Nature And Role Of The Practitioner-Scholar

The richness of dialog about the differing approaches to doctoral educational research from the viewpoint of a scholar and from the viewpoint of the professional has been inspiring and continues to shed new light on the role of the practitioner who performs research under the aegis of the academe (Butlerman-Bos, 2008; Drake & Heath, 2011; Hochbein & Perry, 2013; Jarvis, 1999b; Shulman, Golde, Bueschel, & Garabedian, 2006). However, there continues to be a curious lack of understanding about the signature product of a practitioner performing scholarly research who must satisfy the demands of both viewpoints (Dawson & Kumar, 2014; Willis, Inman, & Valenti, 2010). Accountability to traditionally disparate institutions—the academe and professional practice stakeholders (decision-makers)—decries innovative approaches to the capstone product—the dissertation. We will continue this discussion by outlining the unique characteristics of the dissertation produced by a practitioner who performed educational research. We refer to a dissertation produced by a practitioner while in practice as the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) (ProDEL, 2012; Storey & Maughan, 2014). We continue the discussion about how methodologies of applied or practice-oriented research assists the researcher in professional preparation, public service, outreach, and organizational change (Shulman, 2010). We will also briefly discuss the place of collaborative research among professionals in different disciplines and its purposeful contribution to the DiP