Ensemble species distribution modeling and multilocus phylogeography provide insight into the spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of a keystone forest species, Quercus glauca

Ying Song; Gang-Biao Xu; Ke-Xin Long; Chun-Cheng Wang; Ran Chen; He Li; Xiao-Long Jiang; Min Deng

doi:10.1186/s12870-024-04830-1

BMC Plant Biology (Mar 2024)

Ensemble species distribution modeling and multilocus phylogeography provide insight into the spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of a keystone forest species, Quercus glauca

Ying Song,
Gang-Biao Xu,
Ke-Xin Long,
Chun-Cheng Wang,
Ran Chen,
He Li,
Xiao-Long Jiang,
Min Deng

Affiliations

Ying Song: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Gang-Biao Xu: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Ke-Xin Long: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Chun-Cheng Wang: College of Landscape Architecture, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Ran Chen: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
He Li: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Xiao-Long Jiang: College of Forestry, The Laboratory of Forestry Genetics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology
Min Deng: School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-04830-1
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Abstract Background Forests are essential for maintaining species diversity, stabilizing local and global climate, and providing ecosystem services. Exploring the impact of paleogeographic events and climate change on the genetic structure and distribution dynamics of forest keystone species could help predict responses to future climate change. In this study, we combined an ensemble species distribution model (eSDM) and multilocus phylogeography to investigate the spatial genetic patterns and distribution change of Quercus glauca Thunb, a keystone of East Asian subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. Results A total of 781 samples were collected from 77 populations, largely covering the natural distribution of Q. glauca. The eSDM showed that the suitable habitat experienced a significant expansion after the last glacial maximum (LGM) but will recede in the future under a general climate warming scenario. The distribution centroid will migrate toward the northeast as the climate warms. Using nuclear SSR data, two distinct lineages split between east and west were detected. Within-group genetic differentiation was higher in the West than in the East. Based on the identified 58 haplotypes, no clear phylogeographic structure was found. Populations in the Nanling Mountains, Wuyi Mountains, and the southwest region were found to have high genetic diversity. Conclusions A significant negative correlation between habitat stability and heterozygosity might be explained by the mixing of different lineages in the expansion region after LGM and/or hybridization between Q. glauca and closely related species. The Nanling Mountains may be important for organisms as a dispersal corridor in the west-east direction and as a refugium during the glacial period. This study provided new insights into spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of Q. glauca.

Published in BMC Plant Biology

ISSN: 1471-2229 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Botany
Website: http://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com

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