Ubiquitous genetic diversity in ISSR markers between and within populations of the asexually producing moss Pleurochaete squarrosa

Abstract. This paper provides an analysis of genetic variability in local populations of the clonal moss Pleurochaete squarrosa, a Mediterranean moss typical of post-fire recovery, and characterised by asexual reproduction. ISSR (Internal Simple Sequence Repeats) primers and trnLUAA (intron of plastid gene for Leu tRNA) length polymorphism were employed to evaluate genetic structure in five southern Italy populations of this moss. Both molecular tools highlight high values of genetic diversity with geographic structure of sampled populations and a low gene flow among the investigated sites. Gene diversity is significant at every hierarchical level of sampling, and generally increases from lower to higher hierarchical levels. Among other factors, the ubiquitous genetic variability detected in P. squarrosa can be related to continuous, occasionally massive, shortrange recruitment of propagules, and to the high degree of intermingling, both favoured by the modality of vegetative reproduction and growth occurring in the species.