Abstract: Tamarix taklamakanensis is a tree endemic to China, and is the most drought-resistant and heat-resistant species for sand fixation, thus is significant to desert prevention and cure. Seven microsatellite loci were selected to analyse the genetic diversity of populations of T. taklamakanensis in the Tarim Basin. The research results reveal that although the species is severely fragmented distributed, it still remains a moderate genetic diversity, however the allelic diversity was low; most populations were detected to have experienced recent bottlenecks; natural populations were subdivided into 4 groups, and gene flow was high in the group distributed in the center of Tarim Basin, whereas significant genetic divergence was detected in geographically outlying groups. Bottleneck effects in most of the populations might lead to the loss of allelic diversity; propagule supplemented along the river system might contribute to the high level of genetic diversity in groups in the center of the basin; geographical isolation might mainly cause the genetic divergence in geographically outlying groups.

Key words: Tamarix taklamakanensis, microsatellite, gene flow, genetic divergence, conservation implication