Human Activities Impose Genetic Bottlenecks to Decrease Evolutionary Potential in Managed Plant Populations

Human activities have decreased genetic diversity in a variety of animal species managed for conservation efforts, yet little is known about how similar human practices impact managed plant species. We show that prioritizing rapid propagation imposes a genetic bottleneck that limits genetic diversity. Among three species of wild violets commonly used in restoration efforts, genetic diversity in many loci decreased in individuals exposed to a short compared to a long moist cold stratification. Importantly, this decrease was observed in putatively neutral loci as well as those linked to a biological function. The practice of favoring fast plant propagation limits genetic diversity in plant materials used in restoration and may jeopardize the success of restoration efforts. This research represents an important milestone as it provides some of the first molecular data supporting long theorized implications of how biased propagation practices may impact restoration work.