Influence of phenological barriers and habitat differentiation on the population genetic structure of the balearic endemic Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris Chodat and R. alaternus L

[EN] Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris, endemic to the Gymnesian Islands, coexists with the related and widespread R. alaternus in Mallorca and Menorca. In both species, the population genetic structure using RAPD, and flowering during a 3-year period to check for possible phenological barriers, were analyzed. Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris showed lower genetic diversity and stronger population structure than R. alaternus, the Cabrera population being less diverse and the most differentiated. Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris flowered one month later, although flowering of both species coincided sporadically. These congeners seem to have diverged through isolation by time and differentiation in habitat. The population genetic structure of R. ludovici-salvatoris could mainly be due to the existence of small populations on the one hand, and a gene flow caused by rare hybridization events on the other, which may also explain the presence of morphologically intermediate individuals in Menorca. The conservation of R. ludovici-salvatoris populations may include population reinforcements and other in situ interventions. Ferriol Molina, M.; Llorens García, L.; Gil, L.; Boira Tortajada, H. (2009). Influence of phenological barriers and habitat differentiation on the population genetic structure of the balearic endemic Rhamnus ludovici-salvatoris Chodat and R. alaternus L. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 277(1-2):105-116. doi:10.1007/s00606-008-0110-3 Affre L, Thompson JD, Debussche M (1997) Genetic structure of continental and island populations of the Mediterranean endemic Cyclamen balearicum (Primulaceae). Amer J Bot 84(4): 437–451 BOIB (2005) Decreto 75/2005. BOIB 106: 29–32 Bolmgren K, Oxelman B (2004) Generic limits in Rhamnus L. s.l. (Rhamnaceae) inferred from nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequence phylogenies. Taxon 53(2):383–390 Bolòs O, Molinier R (1958) Recherches phytosociologiques dans l’île de Majorque. Collectanea Botanica 34:699–865 Cardona MA (1979) Consideracions sobre l’endemisme i l’origen de la flora de las Illes Balears. Butlletí del Institut Catalá de Historia Natural 44 (Sec. Bot. 3):7–15 Cardona MA, Contandriopoulos J (1979) Endemism and evolution in the islands of the Western Mediterranean. In: Bramwell D (ed) Plants and islands. Academic Press, London, pp 133–169 Chodat L (1924) Contributions à la Géo-Botanique de Majorque. PhD Thesis, Université de Genève—Institut de Botanique, Switzerland Collins D, Mill RR, Moller M (2003) Species separation of Taxus b