Abstract
Plant preservation, whether through disease research or endemic extinction analyses, plays an important role in the relationship between humans and our surrounding environment. In these analyses, both the role of mobile elements in the evolution of pathogenic Xanthomonas sp. bacteria, and the demographic and reproductive analysis of Castilleja parvula, an imperiled alpine plant, are evaluated. Xanthomonas species are one of the top agricultural threats, and are known to evolve rapidly. Until now, the contributions of mobile elements and particularly bacteriophage have not been thoroughly evaluated. The contribution of these agricultural diseases to food insecurity and the devastation of crops that is common with these pathogens highlight the importance of an evaluation of factors contributing to virulence. It was discovered that these mobile elements are a primary driving force behind this rapid evolution. On a similar vein, the rapid decline and imperiled status of Castilleja parvula call for an evaluation of this previously understudied species. A demographic and reproductive analysis was conducted and reveals that all populations are currently on a rapid trajectory toward extinction.
Degree
MS
College and Department
Life Sciences; Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Rights
https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Green, Ciara A., "Plant Preservation: The Contribution of Bacteriophage and Transposons to Pathogenic Xanthomonas Evolution, and The Demographic and Reproductive Analysis of Castilleja parvula" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 11105.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/11105
Date Submitted
2025-12-15
Document Type
Thesis
Keywords
Castilleja, Xanthomonas, agriculture, conservation, climate change, food security
Language
english