CONSERVATION GENETICS OF THE ENDANGERED ENDEMIC HAWAIIAN GENUS BRIGHAMIA (CAMPANULACEAE)

The endemic Hawaiian genus Brighamia (Campanulaceae) comprises two fed erally endangered, morphologically similar species. B. insignis from K aua'i and Ni'ihau and B. rockii from Moloka'i. To assist the design of conservation management programs far these taxa, isozyme analyses wer e performed to assess the levels of genetic diversity at the populatio n and species levels, including comparisons within and among seven nat ural populations and one ex situ collection each of B. insignis and B. rockii. Our sampling (N = 80) represents similar to 41% of all known individuals in the wild. Isozyme analyses revealed levels of genetic v ariation comparable to those reported for other Hawaiian flowering pla nt taxa hut low levels of genetic variation at the population and spec ies levels when compared to flowering plants in general. Es situ indiv iduals (N = 61) were genetically representative of natural populations and hence may appropriately serve as stock for population augmentatio ns. The two morphologically similar Brighamia species were highly dist inct genetically. The combination of morphological and ecological simi larity with allozymic dissimilarity observed in Brighamia is unique am ong the Hawaiian taxa studied to date.