Circumpolar cpDNA phylogeography of the diploid Cassiope tetragona – a new project

Abstract

The diploid, woody perennial Cassiope tetragona has a circumpolar distribution. The species is an important component of arctic vegetation and has been investigated in global change programs in connection with the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), by experimental manipulations as well as by retrospective analyses. We presently initiate a study or molecular variation in C. tetragona a circumpolar scale. Silica-dried leaf material has so far been collected from arctic Canada (extensive sampling made possible by participation in the Swedish Tundra Northwest 99 expedition ), Greenland, Svalbard, Scandinavia, and one site in arctic Russia; additional field-collections as well as herbarium material will be used to cover the entire geographic distribution of the species.