Biometric tools in conservation: the caseof Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae) from Andorra

Resumen del contenido del póster presentado en el 10e Colloque de botanique Pyrénéo-Cantabrique celebrado del 8 al 10 de julio de 2013 en el Casino de Bagnères-de-Luchon[EN]The isolated populations of Juniperus phoenicea found in mountain areas of the Pyrenees have traditionally been assigned to subsp. phoenicea. In order to verify the taxonomic status of the Andorran populations, and to better understand the distribution of subsp. turbinata, a biometric study basedon morphological characteristics has been carried out. The resulting conclusions indicate that the Andorran populations should be included within subsp. phoenicea along with the other inland Iberian populations. The high degree of morphological variation of the Andorran populations suggest the relict character of those isolated Pyrenean valley stands. The biogeographical interest of those fragmentary populations is commented on. They are plants that grow in the Iimits of the taxon's area, and should be included in the priority strategies for conservation of mountain biodiversity.[ES]Las poblaciones aisladas de Juniperus phoenicea que se encuentran en las zonas de montaña de los Pirineos han sido tradicionalmente asignadas a la subsp. phoenicea. Con el fin de verificar el estatus taxonómico de las poblaciones andorranas, y para comprender mejor la distribución de la subsp. turbinata, se ha realizado un estudio biométrico basado en las características morfológicas de diferentes poblaciones del Mediterráneo Occidental. Los resultados y conclusiones indican que las poblaciones andorranas deben incluirse dentro de la subsp. phoenicea junto con las otras poblaciones del interior ibérico. El alto grado de variación morfológica de las poblaciones andorranas sugiere el carácter relicto de las mismas en los valles del Pirenaicos, donde se encuentran aisladas. Se comenta el interés biogeográfico de estas poblaciones fragmentadas. Son plantas que crecen en los límites de área del taxon, y deberían ser incluidos en las estrategias prioritarias para la conservación de la biodiversidad de las montañas.[FR]Les populations isolées de Juniperus phoenicea des zones de montagne des Pyrénées ont traditionnellement été attribuées ala subsp. phoenicea. Afin de vérifier le statut taxonomique des populations andorranes, et de mieux comprendre la distribution de subsp. turbinata, on a effectué une biométrie basée sur les caractéristiques morphologiques des différentes populations de la Méditerranée occidentale. Les résultats obtenus indiquent que les populations andorrannes devraient étre inclues dans la subsp. phoenicea avec les autres populations continentales ibériques. Le haut degré de variation morphologique des populations de l'Andorre suggere leur caractere relictique. Elles se trouvent isolées dans differentes vallées pyrénéennes. Ces populations fragmentées ont un grand lntérét biogéographique. Les plantes, qui poussent dans les limites de distribution, devraient etre incluses dans les stratégies prioritaires pour la conservation de la biodiversité des montagnes.Peer reviewe

Distance between south-European and south-west Asiatic refugial areas involved morphological differentiation: Pinus sylvestris case study

16 p., mapas, tablas, gráf.The phenotypic differentiation of relic P. sylvestris in southern Europe and southwestern Asia was verified using thirty-two populations sampled from the Iberian Peninsula, Massif Central, Balkan Peninsula, Crimea and Anatolia. Twenty-one morphological and anatomical needle traits and 18 cone morphological characteristics were examined to describe the population diversity and differentiation. The needle characters were not correlated to those of cone. The differences between regions were significant based on 12 needle and 9 cone characteristics, suggesting spatial isolation. The differentiation between the Iberian and Anatolian populations was the highest, which indicates the isolation by distance. The high level of morphological differentiation was also found among Iberian populations, supporting the already known complex history of the species in that region. Populations within other regions were differentiated at lower levels; however, the West Anatolian populations differed morphologically from the eastern ones. The described pattern of morphological differentiation supports the idea of the long-lasting existence of P. sylvestris in the south-European and Anatolian mountain regions. To conserve this variation, seed transfer between regions in the forest economy should be restricted.The research was financially supported by The Polish Ministry of Science (Contr. No. NN303 360535) and partly by Institute of Dendrology.Peer reviewe

Relationships among Cedrus libani, C. brevifolia and C. atlantica as revealed by the morphological and anatomical needle characters

The main aim of the present study was testing the value of the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the needles in distinguishing Cedrus atlantica, C. libani and C. brevifolia. Nine populations were sampled in their natural habit and 25 characters were used to describe the variation of the brachyblast needles and to analyze the differences between species. The results indicated that morphological and anatomical needle characters provide valuable tools in discrimination of the taxa. The scored differences were statistically significant, as revealed in the Tukey's t test, discrimination analysis and hierarchical analysis of variation. The results support treating C. libani, C. atlantica and C. brevifolia as independent species. © 2012 The Author(s).The collection of the majority of the material used in the present study was made possible through bilateral cooperation between the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) and unofficial cooperation between the Institute of Dendrology and the Faculty of Forestry of Kahramanmaraş Sutcu Imam University in Turkey. The study was partly sponsored by the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.Peer Reviewe

Morphological differentiation supports the genetic pattern of the geographic structure of Juniperus thurifera (Cupressaceae)

12 p., mapas, tablas, gráf.Juniperus thurifera is an important component of woodland communities of dry sites within the West Mediterranean region and is characterised by a strongly disjunctive geographic range. Two subspecies were recognised, subsp. thurifera in Europe and subsp. africana in Africa. The aim of the study was the comparison of phenetic diversity to the pattern of AFLP geographic differentiation of the species described in the literature. The examination of phenetic diversity was based on the biometrical analysis of 17 populations using 12 morphological characters of cone and seed. The differences among populations were analysed using Student’s t test, analysis of discrimination, UPGMA agglomeration and hierarchical analysis of variance. The majority of morphological characters differentiated at a statistically significant level between populations and between J. thurifera subsp. thurifera and subsp. africana. Three groups of populations were detected using multivariate statistical analyses. The first, well separated, is subsp. africana, while the following two concern subsp. thurifera. The morphological differentiation of populations appeared similar to that described on the AFLP. The Gibraltar Straight appeared to be the most important barrier.Funding the work was partly sponsored by the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The collection of material was made possible due to the bilateral cooperation of the Polish Academy of Sciences with the Spanish National Research Council "Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas".Peer reviewe

Morphological versus molecular markers to describe variability in Juniperus excelsa subsp. excelsa (Cupressaceae)

41 p.Background and aims: Juniperus excelsa M.-Bieb. is a major forest element in the mountains of the eastern part of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean regions. This study comprises the first morphological investigation covering a large part of the geographical range of J. excelsa and aims to verify the congruency between the morphological results and molecular results of a previous study. Methodology: We studied 14 populations sampled from Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Turkey and Lebanon, from which 11 have previously been investigated using molecular markers. Three hundred and ninety four individuals of J. excelsa were examined using nine biometric features characterising cones, seeds and shoots; and eight derived ratios. Statistical analyses were conducted in order to evaluate the intra and interpopulation morphological variability. Principal results: The level of intra-population variability observed did not show any geographic trends. The total variation mostly depended on the ratios of cone diameter/seed width and seed width/seed length. The discrimination analysis, the Ward agglomeration method and barrier analysis results showed a separation into three main clusters of the sampled populations. These results confirmed, in part, the geographic differentiation revealed by molecular markers with a lower level of differentiation and a less clear geographic pattern. The most differentiated populations using both markers corresponded to old, isolated populations in the high altitudes of Lebanon (>2000 m). Moreover a separation of the northern Turkish population from the southern Turkish populations was observed using both markers. Conclusions: Morphological variation together with genetic and biogeographic studies together make an effective good tool for detecting relict plant populations and also populations subjected to more intensive selection.The research was conducted within the statutory research programme of the Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland and supported by the Research Council of Saint-Joseph University of Beirut.Peer reviewe

Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae) en Andorra: donde la fitocorología se encuentra con la paleobotánica

5 p. Comucación presentada al VII Congreso Español de Biogeografía. Pirineo 2012: Las zonas de montaña: gestión y biodiversidad, celebrado del 3 al 7 de septiembre de 2012.[EN]In this paper we present a case study showing the value of palaeobotanical data to clarify the present distribution of a small Mediterranean tree such us Juniperus phoenicea. The study was carried out on an isolated population located in the Principality of Andorra. This taxon comes from a pre-Mediterranean lineage which has colonized some stations of the axial Pyrenees from the putative refuges of the Ebro Valley and the Southern Pyrenees. The Andorran populations of this species have a relict character from the early Holocene and they conserve a rather high level of morphological and genetic variation. These sites should be considered as high priority conservation areas, as they contain such persisting populations, singular from the morphological, genetic and evolutionary point of view.[ES]Se estudia un caso de como la paleobotánica puede ayudar a explicar la distribución actual de un arbolito Mediterráneo como Juniperus phoenicea en una localidad aislada en Andorra. Este taxón, que proviene de un linaje pre-Mediterráneo, ha colonizado algunas estaciones de los Pirineos axiales desde los refugios putativos del Valle del Ebro y del sur de los Pirineos. Las poblaciones andorranas de esta especie presentan un carácter relíctico que se remonta al inicio del Holoceno y conservan un alto nivel de variación. Se confirma la presencia de enclaves donde este tipo de poblaciones han persistido y son singulares desde el punto de vista morfológico, genético y evolutivo. Estas poblaciones deberían considerarse áreas prioritarias de conservación.Peer reviewe

Biometric tools in biodiversity and global change: the case of Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae) from Andorra

1 p. Póster presentado a I CIBICAT, Congrés Internacional de Biologia de Catalunya. Global Questions on Advanced Biology celebrado en Barcelona del 9 al 12 de julio de 2012.[EN]The isolated populations of Juniperus phoenicea found in mountain areas of the Pyrenees have traditionally been assigned to subsp. phoenicea However, the populations occurring in the southern limits of the taxon in the Maghreb have been assigned with little precision both to subsp. phoenicea and subsp. turbinata. In this context. subsp. turbinata has traditionally been considered as a taxon belonging to the plant communities found growing on coastal sands.Peer reviewe