Life-history strategy and extinction risk in the warm desert perennial spring ephemeral Astragalus holmgreniorum (Fabaceae).

This study of Astragalus holmgreniorum examines its adaptations to the warm desert environment and whether these adaptations will enable it to persist. Its spring ephemeral hemicryptophyte life-history strategy is unusual in warm deserts. We used data from a 22-year demographic study supplemented with reproductive output, seed bank, and germinant survival studies to examine the population dynamics of this species using discrete-time stochastic matrix modeling. The model showed that A. holmgreniorum is likely to persist in the warm desert in spite of high dormant-season mortality. It relies on a stochastically varying environment with high inter-annual variation in precipitation for persistence, but without a long-lived seed bank, environmental stochasticity confers no advantage. Episodic high reproductive output and frequent seedling recruitment along with a persistent seed bank are adaptations that facilitate its survival. These adaptations place its life-history strategy further along the spectrum from "slower" to "faster" relative to other perennial spring ephemerals. The extinction risk for small populations is relatively high even though mean λ s > 1 because of the high variance in year quality. This risk is also strongly dependent on seed bank starting values, creating a moving window of extinction risk that varies with population size through time. Astragalus holmgreniorum life-history strategy combines the perennial spring ephemeral life form with features more characteristic of desert annuals. These adaptations permit persistence in the warm desert environment. A promising conclusion is that new populations of this endangered species can likely be established through direct seeding.

Population genetic structure of an endangered Utah endemic, Astragalus ampullarioides (Fabaceae).

The endangered Shivwits milkvetch, Astragalus ampullarioides, is a perennial, herbaceous plant. This Utah endemic was federally listed as endangered in 2001 because of its high habitat specificity and low numbers of individuals and populations. All habitat currently occupied by A. ampullarioides was designated as critical by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006 as a result of conservation litigation. We used AFLP markers to assess genetic differentiation among the seven extant populations and quantified genetic diversity in each. Six different AFLP markers resulted in 217 unambiguous polymorphic loci. We used multiple methods to examine any changes in population genetic structure in this species over time. Results indicate that A. ampullarioides had much higher gene flow among populations in the past, but has since fragmented into regional genetic units. These regions further fragmented genetically, and extant populations have differentiated through genetic drift. Populations had low levels of gene flow, even between geographically close populations. Rapid urban development reduces gene flow among regions and encroaches on populations of A. ampullarioides and remaining patches of unoccupied habitat. The genetic makeup of each of the extant populations should be carefully considered in management decisions such as population establishment or augmentation.