Population genetic structure of the rock outcrop species Encholirium spectabile (Bromeliaceae): The role of pollination vs. seed dispersal and evolutionary implications
| Autor: | Maria das Graças Lapa Wanderley, Ana Maria Benko-Iseppon, Rodrigo Cesar Gonçalves-Oliveira, Tina Wöhrmann, Marccus Alves, Florian Krapp, Kurt Weising |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Species complex education.field_of_study Genetic diversity In situ conservation biology Ecology Seed dispersal Encholirium Population Plant Science biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Genetic structure Genetics Biological dispersal education Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | American Journal of Botany. 104:868-878 |
| ISSN: | 1537-2197 0002-9122 |
| Popis: | Premise of the study Inselbergs are terrestrial, island-like rock outcrop environments that present a highly adapted flora. The epilithic bromeliad Encholirium spectabile is a dominant species on inselbergs in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil. We conducted a population genetic analysis to test whether the substantial phenotypic diversity of E. spectabile could be explained by limited gene flow among populations and to assess the relative impact of pollen vs. seed dispersal on the genetic structure of the species. Methods Nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers were used to genotype E. spectabile individuals from 20 rock outcrop locations, representing four geographic regions: northern Espinhaco Range, Borborema Plateau, southwestern Caatinga and southeastern Caatinga. F-statistics, structure, and other tools were applied to evaluate the genetic makeup of populations. Key results Considerable levels of genetic diversity were revealed. Genetic structuring among populations was stronger on the plastid as compared with the nuclear level, indicating higher gene flow via bat pollination as compared with seed dispersal by wind. structure and AMOVA analyses of the nuclear data suggested a high genetic differentiation between two groups, one containing all populations from the southeastern Caatinga and the other one comprising all remaining samples. Conclusions The strong genetic differentiation between southeastern Caatinga and the remaining regions may indicate the occurrence of a cryptic species in E. spectabile. The unique genetic composition of each inselberg population suggests in situ conservation as the most appropriate protection measure for this plant lineage. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Plný text