Holocene climate changes explain the spatial pattern in genetic diversity in populations of Cyperus papyrus from Southeast Africa wetlands

Holocene climate changes explain the spatial pattern in genetic diversity in populations of Cyperus papyrus from Southeast Africa wetlands

Wetlands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world because more than 70% of the area worldwide has been lost since 1900. Wetland plant species rely greatly on water for seeds and propagules, which may lead to a downstream unidirectional dispersal and accumulation of genetic diversity do...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heredity Vol. 129; no. 5; pp. 295 - 304
Main Authors: Maxombe, Elias Luís, Vieira, Lucas Donizetti, Sierens, Tim, Triest, Ludwig, Collevatti, Rosane Garcia
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Springer Nature B.V 01-11-2022
Springer International Publishing
Subjects:
Climate Change
Cyperus - genetics
Cyperus papyrus
Demographics
Demography
Dispersion
Ecosystem
Gene flow
Genetic diversity
Genetic Variation
Holocene
Plant species
Population dynamics
Population genetics
Population structure
Populations
Propagules
River basins
Rivers
Seed dispersal
Species diversity
Wetlands
Africa
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Summary:Wetlands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world because more than 70% of the area worldwide has been lost since 1900. Wetland plant species rely greatly on water for seeds and propagules, which may lead to a downstream unidirectional dispersal and accumulation of genetic diversity downstream. However, several species show no support for unidirectional genetic diversity, revealing the complexity of population dynamics and gene flow in wetlands. Here, we used microsatellite loci to address how the past demographic dynamics shaped the contemporary spatial pattern in genetic diversity and population structure of Cyperus papyrus in wetlands of Southeast Africa. Using spatially explicit analysis and coalescent modelling, we found no support for unidirectional dispersal. Instead, we found higher genetic diversity in populations upstream than downstream in the river basin. We also found high admixture among populations, most likely due to connections between adjacent river basins during sporadic floods, and ongoing gene flow due to bird-mediated seed dispersal. Our results suggest stepping-stone migration due to strong isolation-by-distance, but not necessarily unidirectional. Moreover, the past demographic dynamics in the Holocene shaped the current pattern of genetic diversity and structure, leading to higher genetic diversity in populations upstream the Zambezi river basin. Our results also point to the very low genetic diversity of C. papyrus populations in Southeast Africa and the need for management and conservation strategies to guarantee the long-term persistence of the species in the region.
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ISSN:0018-067X
1365-2540
1365-2540
DOI:10.1038/s41437-022-00563-9