Plant Biology ISSN 1435-8603 RESEARCH PAPER Low genetic variability and strong differentiation among isolated populations of the rare steppe grass Stipa capillata L. in Central Europe I. Hensen1, C. Kilian1, V. Wagner1, W. Durka2, J. Pusch3 & K. Wesche1,4 1 Institute of Biology ⁄ Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle ⁄ Saale, Germany 2 Department Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Halle, Germany 3 Landratsamt Kyffha¨ userkreis, Amt fu¨ r Umwelt, Natur und Wasserwirtschaft, Sondershausen, Germany 4 Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Go¨ ttingen, Go¨ ttingen, Germany Keywords ABSTRACT Bottleneck; fragmentation; genetic structure; RAPD; relict species; selfing. Stipa capillata L. (Poaceae) is a rare grassland species in Central Europe that is thought to have once been widespread in post-glacial times. Such relict species are Correspondence expected to show low genetic diversity within populations and high genetic differ- I. Hensen, Institute of Biology ⁄ Geobotany entiation between populations due to bottlenecks, long-term isolation and ongoing and Botanical Garden, Martin-Luther habitat fragmentation. These patterns should be particularly pronounced in selfing University of Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor species. We analysed patterns of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) vari- 1, D-06108 Halle ⁄ Saale, Germany. ation in the facultatively cleistogamous S. capillata to examine whether genetic E-mail:
[email protected] diversity is associated with population size, and to draw initial conclusions on the migration history of this species in Central Europe. We analysed 31 S. capillata Editor populations distributed in northeastern, central and western Germany, Switzerland S.