Origin and demographic history of the endemic Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola).

ABSTRACT: Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola) is a vulnerable conifer species endemic to the island of Taiwan. A warming climate and competition from subtropical tree species has limited the range of Taiwan spruce to the higher altitudes of the island. Using seeds sampled from an area in the central mountain range of Taiwan, 15 nuclear loci were sequenced in order to measure genetic variation and to assess the long-term genetic stability of the species. Genetic diversity is low and comparable to other spruce species with limited ranges such as Picea breweriana, Picea chihuahuana, and Picea schrenkiana. Importantly, analysis using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) provides evidence for a drastic decline in the effective population size approximately 0.3-0.5 million years ago (mya). We used simul

SUBMITTER: Bodare S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3797480 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature