RANDLE, CHRISTOPHER P.*, AMY L. MCMULLEN, AND ANDREA D.WOLFE. Department of Plant Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1293 and Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan Utah. - Conservation biology of Penstemon debilis (Scrophulariaceae): Implications of genetic diversity inferred from ISSR banding patterns.
Penstemon debilis O’Kane and Anderson (Scrophulariaceae) is
known from only five populations in Garfield Co., Colorado. It is an
oil-shale talus endemic restricted to the Green River Oil Shale
formation. Populations are found on steep, south-facing slopes from
8500-9000 ft. Penstemon debilis is a candidate for listing
under the Endangered Species Act, and it is considered to be at severe
risk of extinction. Studies initiated on the breeding systems,
pollination biology, seed predation, seed germination, soil
characterization and genetic diversity will contribute to a management
plan for the conservation of this rare species. We sampled leaf
material from 114 individuals from the five known populations of P.
debilis for ISSR analysis. ISSR banding patterns were used to
assess whether outbreeding depression contibuted to lower seed set in
experimental crosses between populations and to assess the genetic
diversity within and between populations of P. debilis.
Key words: conservation biology, genetic diversity, ISSR, Penstemon, Scrophulariaceae