Browsing by Author "Aboukhalid, Kaoutar"

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    Genetic diversity and differentiation of two narrowly endemic Origanum species in Morocco: implications for conservation
    (Springer, 2026) Aboukhalid, Kaoutar; Machon, Nathalie; Lambourdière, Josie; Bakha, Mohamed; Neffa, Mounsef; Korbecka-Glinka, Grażyna; Khiraoui, Abdelkarim; Choudhary, Ravish; Lamiri, Abdeslam; Al Faiz, Chaouki
    Oregano is a highly valued aromatic and medicinal herb in the Mediterranean, appreciated for its ecological, medical, and culinary properties. This paper aims to explore genetic variation and population structure within O. elongatum and O. grosii populations across their natural range in Morocco by analyzing 13 microsatellites (SSRs). Despite the restricted habitat of O. elongatum, the level of genetic diversity in this species is rather high (Ho = 0.455; He = 0.429); however, O. grosii possesses a reduced level of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.285; He = 0.291) while demonstrating more genetic differentiation between populations. Principal Coordinates Analysis and STRUCTURE analysis revealed four clusters that largely reflected the geographic origin of these plants and clearly separated the two taxa. These results indicate strong genetic differentiation and distinct population structures, supporting their differentiation as separate genetic entities. However, further integrative studies combining genomic and morphological data are needed to confirm their taxonomic status. No significant relationship between genetic and geographic distances was detected, indicating the absence of isolation by distance in the species studied. These findings underscore the necessity of developing species-specific or unit-based approaches to their conservation. Overall, this study illustrates how genetic data can inform conservation planning for rare endemic plants in ecologically sensitive regions, providing a model applicable to other Mediterranean mountain ecosystems facing climate and land-use pressures.