USE OF RAPD ANALYSIS IN DEVISING CONSERVATION STRATEGIES FOR THE RAREAND ENDANGERED GREVILLEA-SCAPIGERA (PROTEACEAE)

Extensive human impact in south western Australia has resulted in a hi gh incidence of rarity throughout the highly endemic flora of the regi on. Grevillea scapigera (Proteaceae) is a typical example, with 27 pla nts (represented by four extant populations) remaining in the wild. In order to devise an appropriate strategy for the conservation of this species, its population genetics were studied using RAPD analysis, whi ch enabled the discrimination of individual plants and the detection o f a relatively high amount of variability (V = 0.32) within G. scapige ra. This variability was found to be evenly distributed within the pla nts analysed despite the clear distinction between most populations (8 7% of the variability being attributable to single plant difference an d 13% to population difference). Finally, RAPD analysis was used to se lect a small group of plants that captured maximum genetic variability to be used in the recovery program of the species. Because of the low genetic difference between populations, the mixing of these selected plants during the recovery process should not create genetic imbalance s. The methods used in this study provide a useful model for future pr ojects involving the recovery of rare flora.