Zaghloul M S, Hamrick J L, Moustafa A A, Kamel W M, El-Ghareeb R
Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
J Hered. 2006 Jan-Feb;97(1):45-54. doi: 10.1093/jhered/esj008. Epub 2006 Jan 11.
Ballota undulata, Ballota kaiseri, and Ballota saxatilis are very rare (and endemic--B. kaiseri), threatened species growing in St. Catherine Protectorate, southern Sinai, Egypt. They are subjected to a number of threats that have caused populations to decline in both number and size. For the long-term survival of these species, an appropriate conservation strategy for the maintenance of their genetic variation should be developed. This study measures genetic diversity within and among populations of these Ballota species and determines the conservation implications of the results. The genetic analyses demonstrated that the three Ballota species maintain relatively high levels of genetic diversity (He = 0.195-0.317) and that most of the their genetic diversity was found within populations (GST = 0.045-0.099). Indirect estimates of historical gene flow for B. undulata and B. saxatilis were relatively high (Nm(W) = 5.25 and 3.37, respectively) but suggest that there is somewhat less gene movement among B. kaiseri populations (Nm(W) = 2.29). The levels of genetic diversity maintained within populations of the three Ballota species indicate that an appropriate sampling design for ex situ safeguarding should capture the majority of the genetic diversity found within these taxa.
波洛塔草（Ballota undulata）、凯撒波洛塔草（Ballota kaiseri）和岩生波洛塔草（Ballota saxatilis）非常罕见（且凯撒波洛塔草为特有种），是生长在埃及西奈半岛南部圣凯瑟琳保护区的受威胁物种。它们面临着诸多威胁，导致其种群数量和规模都有所下降。为了这些物种的长期生存，应制定一项适当的保护策略来维持其遗传变异。本研究测量了这些波洛塔草物种种群内部和种群之间的遗传多样性，并确定了研究结果对保护工作的意义。遗传分析表明，这三种波洛塔草物种保持着相对较高水平的遗传多样性（He = 0.195 - 0.317），且它们的大部分遗传多样性存在于种群内部（GST = 0.045 - 0.099）。对波洛塔草和岩生波洛塔草历史基因流的间接估计相对较高（Nm(W)分别为5.25和3.37），但表明凯撒波洛塔草种群之间的基因流动略少（Nm(W) = 2.29）。这三种波洛塔草物种种群内部维持的遗传多样性水平表明，用于迁地保护的适当抽样设计应能捕获这些分类群中发现的大部分遗传多样性。
