PS 39-81 - Genetic diversity and environmental characteristics of Lysimachia maritima in Korea

Abstract: Lysimachia maritima is a perennial herb native to North America, parts of Europe, salt marshes and lagoons in Asia, and is considered "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List. In particular, L. maritima in Korea is extremely limited, and it is designated as Class II endangered wildlife and protected by the country. This study was conducted to determine whether there are differences in genetic diversity and environmental characteristics among L. maritima populations. In August 2022, a total of 45 quadrats measuring 0.5 m × 0.5 m were installed in 4 populations. Populations in Yangyang-gun and Goseong-gun were located in the sand dune wetlands along the shore of lagoons, and populations in Pohang-si and Ulsan-si inhabited small salt marshes formed in coastal rocky areas. In each quadrat, species composition, growth level of L. maritima, soil characteristics, and Relative Light Intensity (RLI) were analyzed. Leaves were sampled to measure genetic diversity, and seeds were collected for growth experiments of seedlings.

The moisture content of the soil was in the range of 5.35-82.55% and the organic content was in the range of 0.43-47.32%. The main companion species of the Lysimachia maritima were Phragmites australis, Carex scabrifolia, C. humbertiana, Eleocharis kamtschatica, and Pentanema britannicum. The Relative Coverage (RC) of P. australis (lagoons: 46.35%, coastal rocky areas: 9.34%) was higher in habitats located in lagoons than in coastal rocky areas, while the RC of L. maritima (lagoons: 16.75%, coastal rocky areas: 55.40%) was lower (p< 0.001). It is considered to be due to the low RLI caused by high RC of P. australis (p< 0.001). In addition, individuals of L. maritima in lagoons than coastal rocky areas showed low height, number of leaves, and root diameter, indicating relatively low growth levels (p< 0.01). On the other hand, the number of seeds per fruit is higher in lagoons than in coastal rocky areas, which appears to have invested more energy in reproduction than in growth (p< 0.01). DNA was extracted from 129 individuals and RAPD-PCR will be performed through 20 primers for genetic diversity measurement. This study can contribute to understanding the relationship between environment and life history strategy of L. maritima, and can provide basic data for conservation and habitat management.

This research was supported by Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through ‘Wetland Ecosystem Value Evaluation Technology Development Project’, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2022003640003).