Local genetic neighbourhoods but resilient gene flow across anthropogenic landscapes in the red campion (Silene dioica)
Jolivel, C.; Arnaud, J.-F.; Barbot, E.; Gode, C.; Joffard, N.; De Cauwer, I.
Native Plants
Red campion's hot-pink flowers blooming along roadsides and hedgerows near your home are quietly maintaining their genetic health even as the surrounding countryside gets more built up — a rare piece of good news for wildflower conservation.
Scientists tracked how genes move between populations of red campion, a familiar pink wildflower, across landscapes ranging from natural meadows to heavily human-altered areas. They found that even in disturbed habitats, pollen was traveling far enough to keep different plant populations genetically connected and healthy. Essentially, this little wildflower is tougher than we thought — habitat change isn't cutting it off from its neighbors.
Key Findings
Sampling 1,005 individuals across 29 populations found no reduction in genetic diversity linked to population size or degree of human land-use change
Paternity analysis of 4,800 offspring showed pollen dispersal is mostly short-range (under 10 m neighborhoods) but with substantial long-distance immigration from outside local populations
Genetic differentiation among populations followed an isolation-by-distance pattern with high admixture, and landscape composition did not explain differences — suggesting gene flow is resilient to anthropogenic habitat alteration
chevron_right Technical Summary
Red campion wildflowers maintain healthy genetic connections across human-altered landscapes, with pollen traveling both short distances and surprisingly far from outside local populations — suggesting this common plant is more resilient to habitat fragmentation than expected.
Abstract Preview
Background and AimsIn the plant kingdom, gene flow occurs through pollen and seed dispersal, shaping both within-population spatial genetic structure and among-population genetic differentiation. A...
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Silene dioica, known as red campion and red catchfly, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe and introduced to the Americas.