Genetic Variation and Population Dynamics in Taxus Species

Taxus species, commonly known as yews, are long-lived conifers with disjunct distributions across Europe, Asia and North America. Studies over the past decades have revealed that genetic variation within and among yew populations is shaped by historical climate oscillations, geographic isolation and recent anthropogenic pressures. Molecular markers such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have uncovered moderate to high levels of allelic richness, often coupled with significant genetic differentiation driven by limited seed dispersal and inbreeding in small stands. Despite fragmentation, many Taxus populations maintain sufficient gene flow to preserve overall diversity, although effective population sizes (Ne) may be declining. Contemporary research has focused on reconstructing demographic histories, detecting local adaptation to climatic gradients and delineating conservation units. These findings underscore the global significance of yew genetics for forest management, ex situ propagation and the safeguarding of medically valuable Taxus metabolites under future environmental change.

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Genetic Variation and Population Dynamics in Taxus Species publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic variation and population dynamics in taxus species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Genetic variation: The diversity of alleles and genotypes within and among populations of a species.

Effective population size (Ne): The number of breeding individuals that contribute genes to subsequent generations, influencing the rate of genetic drift.

Microsatellite markers (SSRs): Short, tandemly repeated DNA sequences used to assess allelic diversity and population structure.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A single base-pair variation in the genome, widely employed for fine-scale genotyping and demographic inference.

Gene flow (Nm): The exchange of genes among populations, often quantified by the number of migrants per generation.

Genetic differentiation (FST): A statistic measuring the proportion of genetic variance among populations relative to the total variance, indicating population divergence.

References

1. Comparative Study of Genetic Structure and Genetic Diversity between Wild and Cultivated Populations of Taxus cuspidata, Northeast China. Phyton (2024).
2. Genetic variation of English yew (Taxus baccata L.) in the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany. European Journal of Forest Research (2024).
3. Using Historical Habitat Shifts Driven by Climate Change and Present Genetic Diversity Patterns to Predict Evolvable Potentials of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. in Future. Diversity (2024).