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<p>The Mediterranean Basin harbours 10% of global plant diversity and is notable for its high concentration of endemic species. In particular, southeastern Iberia stands out as a floristic hotspot. Human activities during the last century, such as urbanisation, habitat loss, and invasive species, have deeply altered the region’s ecosystems. The sea lavender <i>Limonium estevei</i> (Plumbaginaceae), is a critically endangered narrow endemic restricted to a single and fragmented population. Here, we gather information about its unknown reproductive system and use genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to investigate its population diversity and structure, assess potential hybridisation with its widespread congener <i>L. cossonianum</i>, and reconstruct its demographic evolutionary dynamics. Our results show that <i>L. estevei</i> is a diploid, sexually reproducing species that relies on sporophytic self-incompatibility. The species shows extremely low genetic diversity, limited gene flow, and a critically low effective population size, which together increase extinction risk. Demographic analyses reflect a rapid population expansion beginning ~ 5000 years ago, linked to past climatic changes and aridification of the region, followed by a strong bottleneck probably as a consequence of intense human impacts during the last century. Hybridisation was rare, but interestingly, introgression occurred predominantly from <i>L. estevei</i> to <i>L. cossonianum</i>. These findings highlight the urgency for the implementation of targeted conservation measures to ensure the preservation of <i>L. estevei</i>. The incorporation of high-resolution genomic data can significantly enhance conservation outcomes. We advocate the integration of data-driven genetic management with in situ and <i>ex situ</i> efforts, habitat protection, and long-term population monitoring.</p>

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Conservation genomics of the critically endangered sea lavender Limonium estevei: a recent bottleneck and low introgression from a widespread congener

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月6日

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  • Rosanna García-Rodríguez,
  • Clara de Vega,
  • Hedwig Schwarzer,
  • Encarnación Rubio-Pérez,
  • Sara Martín-Hernanz,
  • Mario Fernández-Mazuecos,
  • José Luis Blanco-Pastor,
  • Abelardo Aparicio,
  • Rafael G. Albaladejo

摘要

The Mediterranean Basin harbours 10% of global plant diversity and is notable for its high concentration of endemic species. In particular, southeastern Iberia stands out as a floristic hotspot. Human activities during the last century, such as urbanisation, habitat loss, and invasive species, have deeply altered the region’s ecosystems. The sea lavender Limonium estevei (Plumbaginaceae), is a critically endangered narrow endemic restricted to a single and fragmented population. Here, we gather information about its unknown reproductive system and use genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to investigate its population diversity and structure, assess potential hybridisation with its widespread congener L. cossonianum, and reconstruct its demographic evolutionary dynamics. Our results show that L. estevei is a diploid, sexually reproducing species that relies on sporophytic self-incompatibility. The species shows extremely low genetic diversity, limited gene flow, and a critically low effective population size, which together increase extinction risk. Demographic analyses reflect a rapid population expansion beginning ~ 5000 years ago, linked to past climatic changes and aridification of the region, followed by a strong bottleneck probably as a consequence of intense human impacts during the last century. Hybridisation was rare, but interestingly, introgression occurred predominantly from L. estevei to L. cossonianum. These findings highlight the urgency for the implementation of targeted conservation measures to ensure the preservation of L. estevei. The incorporation of high-resolution genomic data can significantly enhance conservation outcomes. We advocate the integration of data-driven genetic management with in situ and ex situ efforts, habitat protection, and long-term population monitoring.