Just Cerfing Vol. 7, Issue 8, August 2016 Volume 5, Issue 3, March, 2014 | Page 74

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American Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata Fern.) along the New Jersey Coast
populations in Minnesota and Illinois, as well as populations of Ammophila
champlainensis Seymour in New York and Vermont, where these species are
listed as threatened and endangered, respectively—a status justified in part
by displacement of local genotypes by nonlocal strains introduced through
restoration efforts (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, undated;
New York Natural Heritage Program, 2013). On a community level, studies with the European congener A. arenaria found that invertebrate diversity
decreased as the distance from the plants’ location of origin increased, suggesting that nonlocal sourcing of propagules can reduce community-level
diversity (Vandegehuchte et al., 2012).
Restoring genetic diversity requires prior characterization of genetic structure within and among local native populations (Fant et al., 2008; Franks
et al., 2004; Novy et al., 2010; Stingemore and Krauss, 2013; Utomo et
al., 2009). In the Great Lakes region, Fant et al. (2008) used intersimple
sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to detect substantial genotypic diversity in
native A. breviligulata populations in Minnesota and Illinois, in contrast
to restorations planted with commercial nursery stocks, which remained
monotypic. Crawford and Rudgers (2012, supplement), also using ISSR
markers, noted that while most Michigan A. breviligulata populations were
genetically distinct from one another, genetic similarity was greater within
populations than between them.
Restorations mimicking local diversity have the potential to be more adaptive, resilient, and sustainable, and to support more complex and stable ecosystem functions and services. When available and practical, locally sourced
propagules should be used to create restorations that mimic the genetic
structure of local native populations. Before the present study, genetic diversity within A. breviligulata populations based on high-resolution molecular markers has only been published for the Great Lakes region (Fant et al.,
2008). Here, we report on the genetic structure of native and restored A.
breviligulata populations from northern, central, and southern coastal locations in New Jersey, using ISSR markers.

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Figure 1. New Jersey state and county outline map showing the location of sampled A. breviligulata populations. Native populations
north to south: 1, SHNB-N; 2, IBSP-N; 3, FORS-N; 4; CMRF-N.
Restored populations north to south: 5, SHNB-R; 6, SHSC-R; 7,
BRIG-R; 8, CMSP-R. Base map obtained from U.S. Department of
Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the
Census (1990).

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