patchiness and strong natural fragmentation. We used RAPD‐PCR (randomly amplified
polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction) for a study of the genetic diversity within and
among 20 populations of Geum reptans, an outcrossing clonal plant species in the Swiss
Alps. Populations were sampled at different altitudes, in early‐, medium‐and late‐
successional habitats (population origin) using a spatially hierarchical design, with …