Identification of the vascular plants of Churchill, Manitoba, using a DNA barcode library.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Because arctic plant communities are highly vulnerable to climate change, shifts in their composition require rapid, accurate identifications, often for specimens that lack diagnostic floral characters. The present study examines the role that DNA barcoding can play in aiding floristic evaluations in the arctic by testing the effectiveness of the core plant barcode regions (rbcL, matK) and a supplemental ribosomal DNA (ITS2) marker for a well-studied flora near Churchill, Manitoba.

Results

This investigation examined 900 specimens representing 312 of the 354 species of vascular plants known from Churchill. Sequencing success was high for rbcL: 95% for fresh specimens and 85% for herbarium samples (mean age 20 years). ITS2 worked equally well for the fresh and herb

SUBMITTER: Kuzmina ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3538695 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature