Population structure and genetic diversity of the threatened quillwort Isoëtes malinverniana and implication for conservation

The goal of this research was to investigate genetic variation inIsoëtes malinverniana(Isoëtaceae) to select candidate populations for future conservation efforts. To this aim, ISSR and AFLP analyses, carried out using six and four primer combinations, respectively, produced a total of 425 bands, 97.18% of which were polymorphic. Our results suggest thatI. malinverniana shows medium to high genetic diversity (mean Nei’s genetic diversity: H= 0.1491 for ISSR data; H= 0.2289 for AFLP data) and a substantial amount of gene flow between the analysed populations (Nm = 1.768, with combined ISSR and AFLP data). Themoderate levels of population differentiation support the hypothesis that the fragmentation and isolation ofI. malinverniana occurred only recently, probably due to the intensive agriculture practice and water pollution. These results will be used to focus further studies aimed at supporting reintroduction programs within suitable sites of the distribution area.