Gawrońska Barbara, Marszałek Małgorzata, Kosiński Piotr, Zeyland Joanna, Bednorz Leszek
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Department of Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Biotechnology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 23;20(9):e0332808. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0332808. eCollection 2025.
Accurate taxonomic classification is essential for effective conservation strategies, especially for rare and endangered species. Traditionally based on morphology, such classifications may be challenged by recent advances in molecular tools that reveal hidden genetic structure or lack thereof. Jacobaea erucifolia is a declining species in Poland, primarily threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and competition with invasive species. Although two subspecies-erucifolia and tenuifolia-have been identified in Poland based on leaf morphology and ecological preferences, the taxonomic status of these forms remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic variation within ten Polish populations of J. erucifolia and assess whether the observed morphological differences correspond to genetic divergence. Based on morphology, four populations were classified as subsp. erucifolia and six as subsp. tenuifolia. Reference populations of confirmed subspecies tenuifolia were included from Slovakia, Hungary, and the Netherlands. Genetic analyses were conducted using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), chloroplast DNA restriction fragments (RFLP), cpDNA, and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA sequences. The results revealed a high level of admixture and no significant genetic differentiation among Polish populations, regardless of their initial morphological classification. All Polish populations formed a single genetic group, distinct from foreign tenuifolia samples, although no diagnostic genetic markers were identified to separate these two groups (subspecies) of J. erucifolia definitively. Moreover, sequence data showed no differences among all analyzed individuals, further challenging the validity of subspecies differentiation. These findings suggest that the morphological variation observed within Polish populations likely reflects phenotypic plasticity rather than subspecies-level divergence. Consequently, subspecies tenuifolia does not appear to occur in Poland, and observed differences between Polish populations and those from neighboring countries may represent ecotypic variation. Our study underscores the necessity of integrating genetic and morphological data when resolving taxonomic ambiguities, especially in the context of conservation planning. Future research involving broader geographic sampling and deeper analysis of hybridization patterns will help clarify the evolutionary history and and population dynamics of J. erucifolia.
准确的分类对于有效的保护策略至关重要，尤其是对于珍稀濒危物种。传统上基于形态学的分类可能会受到分子工具最新进展的挑战，这些进展揭示了隐藏的遗传结构或缺乏遗传结构的情况。刺叶泽兰在波兰是一种数量正在减少的物种，主要受到栖息地丧失、碎片化以及与入侵物种竞争的威胁。尽管根据叶片形态和生态偏好，在波兰已鉴定出两个亚种——刺叶亚种和细叶亚种，但这些形态的分类地位仍不明确。本研究旨在评估波兰十个刺叶泽兰种群内的遗传变异，并评估观察到的形态差异是否与遗传分化相对应。基于形态学，四个种群被归类为刺叶亚种，六个种群被归类为细叶亚种。还纳入了来自斯洛伐克、匈牙利和荷兰的已确认细叶亚种的参考种群。使用扩增片段长度多态性（AFLP）、叶绿体DNA限制性片段（RFLP）、叶绿体DNA（cpDNA）和核糖体DNA的核内转录间隔区（ITS）序列进行遗传分析。结果显示，波兰种群之间存在高度混合，且无论其最初的形态分类如何，均无显著的遗传分化。所有波兰种群形成一个单一的遗传组，与国外的细叶样本不同，尽管未鉴定出诊断性遗传标记来明确区分刺叶泽兰的这两个组（亚种）。此外，序列数据显示所有分析个体之间没有差异，这进一步挑战了亚种分化的有效性。这些发现表明，波兰种群内观察到的形态变异可能反映的是表型可塑性而非亚种水平的分化。因此，细叶亚种似乎在波兰并不存在，波兰种群与邻国种群之间观察到的差异可能代表生态型变异。我们的研究强调在解决分类学模糊性时，尤其是在保护规划背景下，整合遗传和形态数据的必要性。未来涉及更广泛地理采样和对杂交模式进行更深入分析的研究，将有助于阐明刺叶泽兰的进化历史和种群动态。
