Central Asian origin of and strong genetic differentiation among populations of the rare and disjunct Carex atrofusca (Cyperaceae) in the Alps

Abstract Aim Carex atrofusca has an arctic–alpine distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, with only a few, disjunct localities known in the European Alps. These alpine populations are declining in number and size. In contrast, C. atrofusca has a wide circumpolar distribution range and is abundant in large parts of the Arctic. The degree of genetic differentiation of the alpine populations and their importance for the conservation of the intraspecific genetic variation of the species is unknown. Location Eurasia and Greenland, with emphasis on the European Alps. Methods We applied amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting and sequences of chloroplast DNA to determine the position of the…

• KB
  Kanton Bern
• AS
  Austrian Science Fund
• NF
  Norges Forskningsråd