CONSERVATION GENETICS OF AN ARCTIC SPECIES, SAXIFRAGA-RIVULARIS L., IN BRITAIN

Genetic diversity in British populations of Saxifraga rivularis L. (Sa xifragaceae) was assessed using isozymes, RAPDs, inter-SSRs and RFLPs of two nea-coding chloroplast DNA regions. Low levels of variation wer e detected: only five molecular phenotypes were recovered, polymorphic for a single RAPD band and Pgd enzyme phenotype. The problem of drawi ng conservation recommendations from studies that show low levels of m arker variation is discussed, and the importance of recognizing the li mits of molecular genetic data in conservation biology is emphasized. (C) 1998 The Linnean Society of London.