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<p>Climax vegetation in the Japanese Archipelago is dominated by forest, yet grassland patches persist semi-naturally. Over the past century, grassland coverage has declined from approximately 14% to 1% of Japan’s land area due to land-use changes and the abandonment of traditional management practices. This reduction has increased the extinction risk for many grassland plants. <i>Aster maackii</i> (Asteraceae) inhabits damp grassland and is highly threatened in Japan. To assess its genetic status, we developed six novel microsatellite markers and evaluated the genetic condition of remnant populations in Japan, and one population from Northeast China. The Japanese populations showed relatively low genetic diversity, weak gene flow and pronounced genetic differentiation among neighbouring populations. Genetic distance and geographic distance were not significantly correlated, implying that genetic drift has been a dominant evolutionary force. <i>Aster maackii</i> grows in scattered damp areas in semi-natural grassland. The restricted and fragmented distribution of damp grassland habitats, diminished by land development and vegetation succession, likely contributes to the species’ genetic impoverishment and population isolation. To ensure the long-term conservation and adaptive potential of remnant populations, in situ and ex situ conservation are urgently needed.</p>

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Conservation implications from a population genetic analysis of the endangered semi-natural grassland plant, Aster maackii

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月2日

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  • Seikan Kurata,
  • Shota Sakaguchi,
  • Akiko Soejima,
  • Motomi Ito

摘要

Climax vegetation in the Japanese Archipelago is dominated by forest, yet grassland patches persist semi-naturally. Over the past century, grassland coverage has declined from approximately 14% to 1% of Japan’s land area due to land-use changes and the abandonment of traditional management practices. This reduction has increased the extinction risk for many grassland plants. Aster maackii (Asteraceae) inhabits damp grassland and is highly threatened in Japan. To assess its genetic status, we developed six novel microsatellite markers and evaluated the genetic condition of remnant populations in Japan, and one population from Northeast China. The Japanese populations showed relatively low genetic diversity, weak gene flow and pronounced genetic differentiation among neighbouring populations. Genetic distance and geographic distance were not significantly correlated, implying that genetic drift has been a dominant evolutionary force. Aster maackii grows in scattered damp areas in semi-natural grassland. The restricted and fragmented distribution of damp grassland habitats, diminished by land development and vegetation succession, likely contributes to the species’ genetic impoverishment and population isolation. To ensure the long-term conservation and adaptive potential of remnant populations, in situ and ex situ conservation are urgently needed.