Himalayan juniper populations are genetically isolated and losing ground to climate change
Gupta A, Singh HC, Wairokpam B, Singh LA, Dwivedy AK, Rana TS, Meena B.
Climate Adaptation
The juniper berries that flavor gin and traditional remedies come from a slow-growing mountain shrub whose Himalayan populations are becoming genetically isolated islands, making them harder to protect as their habitat shrinks with warming.
Researchers studied seven wild populations of a mountain juniper shrub across the Western Himalaya, using genetic fingerprinting to see how closely related the different groups are. They found the populations are quite genetically distinct from each other because they're spread out and don't share pollen or seeds easily, and computer models predict the cool, high-elevation habitat this juniper needs will keep shrinking as the climate warms through 2060 and 2080.
Key Findings
Genetic analysis of 71 individuals across 7 populations showed high differentiation (GST = 0.35) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.88) between populations
70% of genetic variation occurs within populations versus 30% among populations, with distance between populations being the main driver of genetic differences
Current suitable habitat covers 64,568 km² but is projected to decline under future climate scenarios for 2060 and 2080, driven mainly by dry-season precipitation and elevation
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists studied common juniper populations across the Western Himalaya and found high genetic differences between them but low exchange of genes, plus climate models predicting the plant's suitable habitat will shrink significantly by 2060-2080.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Integrative analysis of population genetics and ecological niche modelling of common juniper (<i>Juniperus communis</i> L. var. <i>saxatilis</i> Pall.) in the western Himalaya, India.
Genetic variability and habitat suitability of common juniper (<i>Juniperus communis</i> L. var. <i>saxatilis</i> Pall.) were investigated across seven natural populations (71 individuals) from the...
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Juniperus communis, the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a Holarctic distribution throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere.