Format: ORAL

Jennifer R. Ackerfield1, Mit E. McGlaughlin2

1 Jennifer R. Ackerfield, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO 80206, U.S.A. 2 Mit E. McGlaughlin, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, U.S.A.

Conservation management requires time, personnel, and funding to accomplish effectively. However, these resources are often in short supply. It is therefore important for government agencies to efficiently spend their time, targeting the most vulnerable rare plant species and communities for protection. Additionally, which species agencies target for conservation relies on a foundation of accurate taxonomic classification. One taxon of conservation concern on the Front Range of Colorado is referred to as Physaria X1 by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). Physaria X1 is narrowly restricted in range and is hypothesized to be a hybrid between the rare Physaria bellii (G2S2) and more widespread P. vitulifera (G3S3). Previous research done nearly 30 years ago indicated that Physaria X1 may be genetically distinct and deserve recognition as a species. Based on these findings, Physaria X1 is tracked as a taxon of conservation concern, despite formal species recognition. However, designation at the species level would have significant management consequences for several agencies. A collaboration of researchers, government, and non-profit agencies determined if Physaria X1 deserved species recognition using population-level sampling and next-generation sequencing. Our results showed conclusively that Physaria X1 is not a unique species, but a phenotypically unusual P. vitulifera. However, surprisingly, one population of P. vitulifera was shown to be quite genetically distinct from other populations. Upon further investigation, we found populations of these Physaria to also be morphologically distinct from P. vitulifera and uniquely substrate specific. Therefore, we recommend that populations of this Physaria be treated as a new species, Physaria pamsmithiae, for the CNHP botanist who diligently tracked Physaria X1 and advocated for this project. These results highlight the importance of government and non-profit agencies working collaboratively with researchers to provide efficient, evidence-based conservation management strategies. Ultimately, these results also inform our understanding of regional biodiversity.