Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017
The study of colonizing and of dominant grass species is essential forprairie conservation efforts. We sought to answer how naturalized Kentuckybluegrass in the northern Great Plains has become successful in the last 20yr despite its long history in the northern Great Plains. We tested forevidence of geographical differentiation using flow cytometry andmicrosatellite markers to ascertain the population genetics of Kentuckybluegrass. Across all tested wild populations, high levels of geneticdiversity were detected along with moderate levels of structure. Manteltests of geographical patterns were not significant. Using clonalassignment, we found two major clones that made up the majority of thetested wild populations. When we compared the wild individuals to pedigreecultivars, we found virtually no genetic overlap across all tests, which didnot support our hypothesis of developed cultivars contributing to highgenetic diversity in natural populations. Furthermore, DNA content testsindicated a narrow range in ploidy in wild populations compared with lawncultivars, further supporting a hypothesis of divergence between wild andpedigree cultivars. These results indicate the recent invasion of Kentuckybluegrass in the northern Great Plains is not because of adaptation orpropagule pressure, but rather likely an environmental or land useshift.
Associate Editor for this paper: Steven Seefeldt, University of Alaska at Fairbanks.