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Abstract :
[en] The zinc violet, Viola calaminaria is a threatened species, endemic to calamine sites in Belgium and West Germany. Since the end of 19th century, the V. calaminaria habitat network have exhibited a huge dynamics, with creation of new habitats resulting from industrial pollution and destruction of habitats by urbanisation and site remediation. In the present study, we analysed the effect of population history (recent/ancient population) on genetic diversity, fitness and reproductive success in order to discuss conservation strategies for the species.
Recently founded populations exhibited similar level of genetic diversity (Hs) as ancient populations but showed a lower genetic differentiation among population (Fst). No indication of strong founder effects in recently established populations was detected.
Plant fitness (seed set and germination percentage) was higher in recent populations while other reproductive traits (vegetative density, flower density, fructification percentage) did not differ according to population history. Results suggest that the creation of habitats through human activities can provide new opportunities for conservation of this species.
In increasingly disturbed environments, this indicates that, at least for some species, conservation strategies should not focus solely on traditional and natural habitats but also consider the potential benefits offered by modified landscapes.