Genetic analysis in plant conservation research

What is genetic analysis?

Genetic analysis is the study of genes, the fundamental physical units of heredity in living organisms. Genes are composed of DNA and control the development and control of the organism.

Why do we study the genes of plants?

Grinding a plant leaf in
liquid nitrogen to then extract
DNA from it

A plant's genes provide a picture of the plant's unique individual biological makeup. This picture provides one way of comparing genetic differences and similarities

• between individual plants of a species,
• between different populations of the same plant species,
• between one plant species and another.

A plant's genes also provide us with an insight into the extended family history of the plant. It helps to document the environmental forces that shaped a species across time and the ways in which plants (and the population to which they belong) have adapted to these forces to survive in a specific region.

An understanding of the genetic makeup of plants, and the forces that have shaped populations of species, can lead to more effective management strategies for a species and the threats its may face.

Why is genetic diversity important?

Western Australia has nearly 12, 000 plant species. This diversity in species has been recognised as one of the great wonders of the natural world, and the South West of WA has been classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

This diversity reflects the complex array of genetic variation between plant species, and within species themselves. It is a result of millions of years of evolution, the selection and adaptation by individual plants and species to the environments in which they live.

These evolutionary adaptation mechanisms have occurred over long periods of time through changes or mutations in the basic genetic material of plants. Mutations that result in useful features, or that do not disadvantage the organism, get passed on in reproduction, generating differences in populations and species over time.

Loss of the genetic diversity impedes the species ability to adapt to the challenges posed by environmental change (new diseases, pests, parasites, pollution, climate cycles and global climate change). Without adequate genetic diversity, plant species may ultimately face the risk of extinction.