Conservation genetics and potential geographic distribution modeling of Corybas taliensis, a small 'sky Island' orchid species in China

Yuhang Liu; Huichun Wang; Jing Yang; Zhiling Dao; Weibang Sun

doi:10.1186/s12870-023-04693-y

Conservation genetics and potential geographic distribution modeling of Corybas taliensis, a small 'sky Island' orchid species in China

BMC Plant Biol. 2024 Jan 2;24(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s12870-023-04693-y.

Authors

Yuhang Liu^#^{1

2

3}, Huichun Wang^#^{1

2

3}, Jing Yang^{1

2

4}, Zhiling Dao^{1

2

4}, Weibang Sun^{5

6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
² Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
³ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
⁴ Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
⁵ Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China. wbsun@mail.kib.ac.cn.
⁶ Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China. wbsun@mail.kib.ac.cn.
⁷ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. wbsun@mail.kib.ac.cn.
⁸ Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China. wbsun@mail.kib.ac.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Corybas taliensis is an endemic species of sky islands in China. Its habitat is fragile and unstable, and it is likely that the species is threatened. However, it is difficult to determine the conservation priority or unit without knowing the genetic background and the overall distribution of this species. In this study, we used double digest restriction-site associated DNA-sequencing (ddRAD-seq) to investigate the conservation genomics of C. taliensis. At the same time, we modeled the extent of suitable habitat for C. taliensis in present and future (2030 and 2090) habitat using the maximum-entropy (MaxEnt) model.

Results: The results suggested that the related C. fanjingshanensis belongs to C. taliensis and should not be considered a separate species. All the sampling locations were divided into three genetic groups: the Sichuan & Guizhou population (SG population), the Hengduan Mountains population (HD population) and Himalayan population (HM population), and we found that there was complex gene flow between the sampling locations of HD population. MT was distinct genetically from the other sampling locations due to the unique environment in Motuo. The genetic diversity (π, H_e) of C. taliensis was relatively high, but its contemporary effective population size (N_e) was small. C. taliensis might be currently affected by inbreeding depression, although its large population density may be able to reduce the effect of this. The predicted areas of suitable habitat currently found in higher mountains will not change significantly in the future, and these suitable habitats are predicted to spread to other higher mountains under future climate change. However, suitable habitat in relatively low altitude areas may disappear in the future. This suggests that C. taliensis will be caught in a 'summit trap' in low altitude areas, however, in contrast, the high altitude of the Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains are predicted to act as 'biological refuges' for C. taliensis in the future.

Conclusions: These results not only provide a new understanding of the genetic background and potential resource distribution of C. taliensis, but also lay the foundation for its conservation and management.

Keywords: Conservation management; Corybas taliensis; MaxEnt; Population genetic; Suitable habitat; ddRAD-seq.

MeSH terms

Altitude
China
Climate Change*
Ecosystem*
Sequence Analysis, DNA

Grants and funding

2019QZKK0502/Weibang Sun