The Historical Biogeography of Divergence in the Relict Cypress <i>Chamaecyparis obtusa</i>, and the Implications for Conservation and Management in East Asia.

ABSTRACT: East Asia provides long-term stable refugia for relict plant species and supports high species richness. Chamaecyparis obtusa is a typical relict species that is now restricted to particularly warm, humid areas in East Asia, mainland Japan, and Taiwan. It is widely used for timber, and understanding its genetic characteristics within its natural range is important for appropriate management and conservation. This study used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to examine the historical biogeography as well as genetic characteristics of C. obtusa populations across its distribution range. High levels of genetic divergence were found between mainland Japan and Taiwan (0.673-0.717 F _ST). The initial divergence occurred around 1 million years ago (

SUBMITTER: Aihara T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12483943 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature