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Genetic comparison of introduced and native populations of common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), a woody shrub introduced into North America from Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2020

Alexis Wafer ,
Theresa M. Culley Open the ORCID record for Theresa M. Culley [Opens in a new window] ,
Kala Stephens  and
J. Ryan Stewart
Alexis Wafer
Affiliation:
Undergraduate Research Associate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
Theresa M. Culley*
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
Kala Stephens
Affiliation:
Undergraduate Research Associate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA
J. Ryan Stewart
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Theresa M. Culley, Department of Biological Sciences, 614 Rieveschl Hall, University of Cincinnati, OH45221-0006. (Email: theresa.culley@uc.edu)
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Abstract

Introduced from Europe to North America in the early 19th century as an ornamental shrub and for medicinal purposes, common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) has since spread and naturalized throughout regions of the United States and Canada. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of genetic variation and population differentiation in R.cathartica in its introduced range in North America compared with its native range in Europe to better understand patterns of spread. By analyzing introduced and native populations using microsatellite markers, we found that introduced populations generally exhibited similar or slightly lower levels of genetic variation compared with native populations, consistent with a slight bottleneck effect. Introduced populations contained many different genotypes, indicating genetic admixture, rather than one or few genotypes. In a few cases, populations had been misidentified in the field and were glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.; syn. Rhamnus frangula L.). Overall, there was no substantial genetic differentiation detected between native and introduced populations of R. cathartica. Invasive spread in this species is likely due to its past horticultural history as well as adaptive biological traits such as competitive behavior, potential allelopathy, and seed dispersal via birds.

Keywords

BuckthornFrangula alnusgenetic variationinvasivemicrosatellite
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 68 - 75
Copyright
© Weed Science Society of America, 2020

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Marie Jasieniuk, University of California, Davis

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