Studying the Genetic and the Epigenetic Diversity of the Endangered Species Juniperus drupacea Labill. towards Safeguarding Its Conservation in Greece

Abstract

Juniperus drupacea Labill is a unique representative tree which, nowadays, has limited geographical range. In Greece, it exists only in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese, and it is labeled as endangered according to the IUCN in Europe. In the light of climatic changes, a conservation plan which will secure its adaptation and resilience is important. Knowledge of the genetic and the epigenetic diversity of J. drupacea in Greece can establish a pledge for sustainability. In this study, genetic diversity with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and epigenetic diversity assessed with methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) were used for eleven subpopulations of the species. Simultaneously, first assessment between midday water potential (Ψmd) and epigenetic diversity was calculated in order to determine drought response of the species. Results showed that genetic diversity was higher than epigenetic diversity and no subpopulation differentiation was observed. No significant correlations were found between geographic, epigenetic, and genetic diversity, indicating that the genetic diversity is uncoupled from epigenetic diversity. A significant negative correlation between epigenetic Shannon index and Ψmd was found. The holistic research of genetic and epigenetic diversity paves the way for an effective conservation plan for the species.