Adrien S. Wulff

Conservation Priorities in a Biodiversity Hotspot: Analysis of Narrow Endemic Plant Species in New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a global biodiversity hotspot facing extreme environmental degradation. Given the urgent need for conservation prioritisation, we have made a first-pass quantitative assessment of the distribution of Narrow Endemic Species (NES) in the flora to identify species and sites that are potentially important for conservation action. We assessed the distributional status of all angiosperm and gymnosperm species using data from taxonomic descriptions and herbarium samples. We characterised species as being NES if they occurred in 3 or fewer locations. In total, 635 of the 2930 assessed species were classed as NES, of which only 150 have been subjected to the IUCN conservation assessment. As the distributional patterns of un-assessed species from one or two locations correspond well with assessed species which have been classified as Critically Endangered or Endangered respectively, we suggest that our distributional data can be used to prioritise species for IUCN assessment. We also used the distributional data to produce a map of “Hotspots of Plant Narrow Endemism” (HPNE). Combined, we used these data to evaluate the coincidence of NES with mining activities (a major source of threat on New Caledonia) and also areas of conservation protection. This is to identify species and locations in most urgent need of further conservation assessment and subsequent action. Finally, we grouped the NES based on the environments they occurred in and modelled the habitat distribution of these groups with a Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Model (MaxEnt). The NES were separable into three different groups based primarily on geological differences. The distribution of the habitat types for each group coincide partially with the HPNE described above and also indicates some areas which have high habitat suitability but few recorded NES. Some of these areas may represent under-sampled hotspots of narrow endemism and are priorities for further field work.

Application of a Simplified Method of Chloroplast Enrichment to Small Amounts of Tissue for Chloroplast Genome Sequencing

Premise of the study: High-throughput sequencing of genomic DNA can recover complete chloroplast genome sequences, but the sequence data are usually dominated by sequences from nuclear/mitochondrial genomes. To overcome this deficiency, a simple enrichment method for chloroplast DNA from small amounts of plant tissue was tested for eight plant species including a gymnosperm and various angiosperms. Methods: Chloroplasts were enriched using a high-salt isolation buffer without any step gradient procedures, and enriched chloroplast DNA was sequenced by multiplexed high-throughput sequencing. Results: Using this simple method, significant enrichment of chloroplast DNA-derived reads was attained, allowing deep sequencing of chloroplast genomes. As an example, the chloroplast genome of the conifer Callitris sulcata was assembled, from which polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated successfully. Discussion: This chloroplast enrichment method from small amounts of plant tissue will be particularly useful for studies that use sequencers with relatively small throughput and that cannot use large amounts of tissue (e.g., for endangered species).

Hidden in plain view: Cryptic diversity in the emblematic Araucaria of New Caledonia

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Cryptic species represent a conservation challenge, because distributions and threats cannot be accurately assessed until species are recognized and defined. Cryptic species are common in diminutive and morphologically simple organisms, but are rare in charismatic and/or highly visible groups such as conifers. New Caledonia, a small island in the southern Pacific is a hotspot of diversity for the emblematic conifer genus Araucaria (Araucariaceae, Monkey Puzzle trees) where 13 of the 19 recognized species are endemic. METHODS We sampled across the entire geographical distribution of two closely related species (Araucaria rulei and A. muelleri) and screened them for genetic variation at 12 nuclear and 14 plastid microsatellites and one plastid minisatellite; a subset of the samples was also examined using leaf morphometrics. KEY RESULTS The genetic data show that populations of the endangered A. muelleri fall into two clearly distinct genetic groups: one corresponding to montane populations, the other corresponding to trees from lower elevation populations from around the Goro plateau. These Goro plateau populations are more closely related to A. rulei, but are sufficiently genetically and morphological distinct to warrant recognition as a new species. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows the presence of a previously unrecognized species in this flagship group, and that A. muelleri has 30% fewer individuals than previously thought. Combined, this clarification of species diversity and distributions provides important information to aid conservation planning for New Caledonian Araucaria.

Development of nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers for the endangered conifer Callitris sulcata (Cupressaceae).

Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for Callitris sulcata (Cupressaceae), an endangered conifer species in New Caledonia. Methods and Results: Using sequencing by synthesis (SBS) of an RNA-Seq library, 15 polymorphic nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers were developed. When evaluated with 48 individuals, these markers showed genetic variations ranging from two to 15 alleles and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0 to 0.881. Conclusions: These markers will be useful for examining the genetic diversity and structure of remaining wild populations and improving the genetic status of ex situ populations.

High levels of population differentiation in two New Caledonian Scaevola species (Goodeniaceae) and its implications for conservation prioritisation and restoration

Population genetic structure was studied in two Scaevola (Goodeniaceae) species across their ranges in New Caledonia. Scaevola montana is locally common and distributed primarily on ultramafic substrates, and is used for ecological restoration of mining sites. Scaevola coccinea is a narrow endemic restricted to ultramafic soils in a single valley, where intensive mining activity occurs. We compared levels of diversity and differentiation in the two species using nuclear microsatellites, so as to understand the spatial scale at which populations become isolated. We also measured environmental distances among sites as a crude proxy to estimate where adaptive differentiation may occur. Populations of S. montana were sampled over a total distance of ~500 km. In contrast, the total range of S. coccinea is 12 × 6 km. Greater allelic diversity and gene diversity was detected within populations of S. montana than S. coccinea. Both species show high levels of population differentiation (S. montana FʹST = 0.437; S. coccinea FʹST = 0.54). The marked population structure in S. coccinea despite the close proximity of the sampled populations is associated with its pollination by territorial birds and no observed seed-dispersal agents, compared with the greater vagility of insect pollination and bird dispersal of S. montana. In S. coccinea, given the high levels of differentiation, we highlight the importance of each individual population for the conservation of intra-specific biodiversity in this species. In S. montana, we used a combination of the genetic data and environmental characteristics of each of the sample sites to outline general guidelines on seed sources for restoration programs.