Recent low levels of differentiation in the native Bombus ephippiatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) along two Neotropical mountain-ranges in Guatemala
| Autor: | Jorge Mérida, Natalia Escobedo-Kenefic, Robert J. Paxton, Lucie M. Baltz, Patricia Landaverde-González, Martin Husemann |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine education.field_of_study Ecology Population Biodiversity Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences 030104 developmental biology Effective population size Habitat Biological dispersal Bombus ephippiatus education Endemism Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation Isolation by distance |
| Zdroj: | Biodiversity and Conservation. 27:3513-3531 |
| ISSN: | 1572-9710 0960-3115 |
| Popis: | Recent anthropogenic fragmentation has led to population differentiation threatening viability of many species, including species specialized on mountainous ecosystems. Bombus ephippiatus, a widespread species mostly found in mountains in the Neotropics, seems to use the highlands as island, and deforested lowland areas may represent barriers to their dispersal, leading to isolation and potentially loss of genetic diversity. Yet, lack of knowledge of its population structure does not allow adequate management and conservation. To fill this knowledge gap, we assessed the population structure and inferred dispersion of B. ephippiatus in two mountain-ranges in Guatemala (Volcanic Chain and Sierra de las Minas). This region is characterized by high topographic variation and considerable deforestation strain. We analyzed the effects of elevation and land-use on genetic differentiation of B. ephippiatus populations and inferred its demography in the region. Our results suggest that B. ephippiatus is able to disperse long distances across most landscape types, reflected by its high genetic diversity, high effective population size, considerable gene flow, low population differentiation, as well as the lack of isolation by distance. Hence, B. ephippiatus may be a resilient species for the provision of pollination services. However, we detected a subtle divergence of B. ephippiatus into two clusters, of which Sierra de las Minas has been identified as a regional hotspot of genetic and species endemism. Yet, differentiation is very recent and hence likely caused by lowland deforestation. The combined effects of current forest cover and elevation partially explain the observed subtle patterns of differentiation suggesting that the maintenance of suitable habitat is crucial to ensure population connectivity of this keystone pollinator. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full text from SpringerLink