Defining Populations and Predicting Future Suitable Niche Space in the Geographically Disjunct, Narrowly Endemic Leafy Prairie-Clover (Dalea foliosa; Fabaceae).

Conservation actions for rare species are often based on estimates of population size and number, which are challenging to capture in natural systems. Instead, many definitions of populations rely on arbitrarily defined distances between occurrences, which is not necessarily biologically meaningful despite having utility from a conservation management perspective. Here, we introduce a case study using the narrowly endemic and highly geographically disjunct leafy prairie-clover (Dalea foliosa), for which we use nuclear microsatellite loci to assess the current delimitations of populations and management units across its entire known range. We model future potential suitable niche space for the species to assess how currently defined populations could fare under predicted changes in climate over the next 50 years. Our results indicate that genetic variation within the species is extremely limited, particularly so in the distal portions of its range (Illinois and Alabama). Within the core of its range (Tennessee), genetic structure is not consistent with populations as currently defined. Our models indicate that predicted suitable niche space may only marginally overlap with the geology associated with this species (limestone glades and dolomite prairies) by 2070. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the extent to which populations are ecologically adapted to local environments and what role this could play in future translocation efforts.

Pityopsis ruthii: An Updated Review of Conservation Efforts for an Endangered Plant.

Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small, Ruth's golden aster, is an endangered Asteraceae species that grows in the riparian zone along small sections of two rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States of America (USA). Since 1985, the species has been listed under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continued benefit of the American people. The agency provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of imperiled plant species by working with the scientific community to protect important habitats, increase species' populations, and identify and reduce threats to species survival with the goal of removal from federal protection. Over the past 35 years, research efforts have focused on studies designed to delineate the range and size of populations, determine habitat requirements, reproductive and propagation potential, and understand the demographic, ecological, and genetic factors that may increase vulnerability to extinction for P. ruthii. Cooperative partnerships have driven the completion of actions called for in the strategy to recover P. ruthii, and in this review, we highlight these efforts within the context of species conservation.