CRB: Risk of Extinction and Conservation Biology of Rare Plants in Oceanic Islands

本研究的目的是通过研究海岛珍稀植物的遗传和形态变异以及生殖生物学方面的问题，为评估海岛珍稀植物的灭绝风险提供一般性的指导。 等位酶和RAPD将被用来测量不同大小的种群内的多样性，在胡安费尔南德斯群岛上的稀有植物的选择物种，不同的生殖生物学。 这将决定较小的种群是否可能因遗传多样性较低和/或因近亲繁殖衰退、缺乏传粉者或雌雄异株物种的性别比例偏斜而减少种子而面临更大的灭绝风险。 还将评估在繁殖生物学方面不同的物种种群内部和种群之间的遗传多样性水平和分配，如繁殖系统，传粉者和种子传播者。 本研究中产生的数据应该为评估海洋岛屿特有的许多濒危和受威胁物种的灭绝风险以及大陆地区的分散和小种群提供指导方针。 拟议的工作将具有很强的教育成分，因为岛上的国家公园导游、智利研究生和智利教职员工将接受保护生物学各个方面的培训。

The purpose of this research is to provide eneral guidelines for assessing risks of extinction in rare plants on oceanic islands by studying their genetic and morphological variation and aspects of the reproductive biology/. Allozymes and RAPDs will be used to measured diversity within populations of different sizes in selected species of rare plants on the Juan Fernandez Islands that differ in reproductive biology. This will determine whether smaller populations may be at greater risk of extinction because of lower genetic diversity and/or reduced seed set due to inbreeding depression, lack of pollinators, or skewed sex ratios in dioecious species. The level and apportionment of genetic diversity within and among populations of species differing in aspects of reproductive biology such as breeding systems, pollinators, and seed dispersers will also be assessed. The data generated in this study should provide guidelines for assessing the risk of extinction in the many endangered and threatened species endemic to oceanic islands, as well as for fragmented and small populations in contin ental areas. The proposed work will have a strong educational component because National Park guides on the islands, Chilean graduate students, and Chilean faculty members will receive training in various aspects of conservation biology.