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Jia J, Jiang H, Zhu X, Wang S, Wang L, Liu C, Li W, Huang W. Inorganic carbon utilization strategies of plateau aquatic plants in response to native habitats. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2024; 162:47-62. [PMID: 39133367 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-024-01115-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic plants are a crucial component of the aquatic ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau region. Researching the adaptability of plateau aquatic plants in photosynthesis to the plateau environment can enhance understanding of the operational mechanisms of plateau ecosystems, thereby providing a scientific basis for the protection and management of plateau aquatic ecosystems. This study presents an investigation of photosynthetic inorganic carbon utilization strategies and photosynthetic efficiency of 17 aquatic plants under natural growing conditions in Niyang River basin on the Tibetan Plateau. In pH-drift experiments, 10 of 17 species were able to utilize HCO3-, and environmental factors like water pH were shown to have a significant effect on the ability of the tested species to utilize HCO3-. Titratable acidity in the leaves of Stuckenia filiformis, Zannichellia palustris, Batrachium bungei, and Myriophyllum spicatum showed significant diurnal fluctuations at certain sampling sites, indicating the presence of CAM. In B. bungei, water pH positively correlated with CAM activity, while CO2 concentration negatively correlated with CAM activity. The chlorophyll fluorescence analysis revealed that aquatic plants inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau exhibited photosynthetic adaptations. In conclusion, the aquatic plants on the Tibetan Plateau employ diverse strategies for utilizing inorganic carbon during photosynthesis, exhibiting their flexible adaptability to the native high-altitude habitats of the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Jia
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hongsheng Jiang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xi Zhu
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, HaiKou, 570228, China
| | - Shanwei Wang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Liyuan Wang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | | | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China.
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Yani Wetland Ecosystem Positioning Observation and Research Station, Tibet University, Lhasa, China.
| | - Wenmin Huang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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Engloner AI, Németh K, Bereczki J. The Genetic Diversity of the Macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum in Backwaters Reflects Differences in the Hydrological Connectivity and Water Flow Rate of Habitats. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2220. [PMID: 39204656 PMCID: PMC11360828 DOI: 10.3390/plants13162220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Macrophytes often live in fluvial backwaters that have a variety of hydrological connections to a main river. Since the ability of these plants to adapt to changing environments may depend on the genetic diversity of the populations, it is important to know whether it can be influenced by habitat characteristics. We examined the microsatellite polymorphism of the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum from various backwaters and showed that the genetic diversity of this plant clearly reflects habitat hydrological differences. The greatest genetic variability was found in a canal system where constant water flow maintained a direct connection between the habitats and the river. In contrast, an isolated backwater on the protected side of the river had the lowest plant genetic diversity. Oxbows permanently connected to the branch system with static or flowing water, and former river branches temporarily connected to the main bed contained populations with moderately high or low genetic variability. The results demonstrate that habitat fragmentation can be a result not only of the loss of direct water contact, but also of the lack of flowing water. Adverse hydrological changes can reduce the genetic diversity of populations and thus the ability of this macrophyte to adapt to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila I. Engloner
- HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kitti Németh
- HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit Bereczki
- Molecular Taxonomy Laboratory, Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary
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Wróbel A, Klichowska E, Nowak A, Nobis M. Alpine Extremophytes in Evolutionary Turmoil: Complex Diversification Patterns and Demographic Responses of a Halophilic Grass in a Central Asian Biodiversity Hotspot. Syst Biol 2024; 73:263-278. [PMID: 38141222 PMCID: PMC11282368 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Diversification and demographic responses are key processes shaping species evolutionary history. Yet we still lack a full understanding of ecological mechanisms that shape genetic diversity at different spatial scales upon rapid environmental changes. In this study, we examined genetic differentiation in an extremophilic grass Puccinellia pamirica and factors affecting its population dynamics among the occupied hypersaline alpine wetlands on the arid Pamir Plateau in Central Asia. Using genomic data, we found evidence of fine-scale population structure and gene flow among the localities established across the high-elevation plateau as well as fingerprints of historical demographic expansion. We showed that an increase in the effective population size could coincide with the Last Glacial Period, which was followed by the species demographic decline during the Holocene. Geographic distance plays a vital role in shaping the spatial genetic structure of P. pamirica alongside with isolation-by-environment and habitat fragmentation. Our results highlight a complex history of divergence and gene flow in this species-poor alpine region during the Late Quaternary. We demonstrate that regional climate specificity and a shortage of nonclimate data largely impede predictions of future range changes of the alpine extremophile using ecological niche modeling. This study emphasizes the importance of fine-scale environmental heterogeneity for population dynamics and species distribution shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wróbel
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Prof. St. Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewelina Klichowska
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Nowak
- Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Prawdziwka 2, 02-973 Warszawa, Poland
- Botanical Garden of the Wrocław University, Sienkiewicza 23, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Marcin Nobis
- Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Yan C, Song MH, Jiang D, Ren JL, Lv Y, Chang J, Huang S, Zaher H, Li JT. Genomic evidence reveals intraspecific divergence of the hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi), an endangered reptile endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1335-1350. [PMID: 36073004 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how and why species evolve requires knowledge on intraspecific divergence. In this study, we examined intraspecific divergence in the endangered hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi), an endemic species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Whole-genome resequencing of 58 sampled individuals from 15 populations was performed to identify the drivers of intraspecific divergence and explore the potential roles of genes under selection. Our analyses resolved three groups, with major intergroup admixture occurring in regions of group contact. Divergence probably occurred during the Pleistocene as a result of glacial climatic oscillations, Yadong-Gulu rift, and geothermal fields differentiation, while complex gene flow between group pairs reflected a unique intraspecific divergence pattern on the QTP. Intergroup fixed loci involved selected genes functionally related to divergence and local adaptation, especially adaptation to hot spring microenvironments in different geothermal fields. Analysis of structural variants, genetic diversity, inbreeding, and genetic load indicated that the hot-spring snake population has declined to a low level with decreased diversity, which is important for the conservation management of this endangered species. Our study demonstrated that the integration of demographic history, gene flow, genomic divergence genes, and other information is necessary to distinguish the evolutionary processes involved in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochao Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng-Huan Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dechun Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin-Long Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunyun Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Song Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jia-Tang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Tibet Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu, China
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Yu X, Chen F, Chen Z, Wei P, Song X, Liu C, Liu T, Li X, Liu X. Genetic diversity and gene expression diversity shape the adaptive pattern of the aquatic plant Batrachium bungei along an altitudinal gradient on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 111:275-290. [PMID: 36534297 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-022-01326-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
It is an intriguing issue of evolutionary biology how genetic diversity and gene expression diversity shape the adaptive patterns. Comparative transcriptomic studies of wild populations in extreme environments provide critical insights into the relative contribution of genetic and expressive components. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity and gene expression diversity of 20 populations of the aquatic plant Batrachium bungei along elevations ranging from 2690 to 4896 m on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau (QTP). Based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression data from 100 individuals of B. bungei, we found that variation in genetic sequence was more sensitive to detect weak differentiation than gene expression. Using 292,613 high-quality SNPs, we documented a significant phylogeographical structure, a low within-population genetic diversity, and a high inter-population genetic differentiation in B. bungei populations. Analysis of relationship between geographic distance, genetic distance, and gene expression similarity showed that geographic isolation shaped gene flow patterns but not gene expression patterns. We observed a negative relationship between genetic diversity and gene expression diversity within and among B. bungei populations, and we demonstrated that as environmental conditions worsen with increasing altitude, genetic diversity played an increased role in maintaining the stability of populations, while the corresponding role of gene expression diversity decreased. These results suggested that genetic diversity and gene expression diversity might act as a complementary mechanism contributing to the long-term survival of B. bungei in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Feifei Chen
- Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Biological Resources and Adaptive Evolution, Research Center for Ecology, School of Sciences, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, Tibet, China
| | - Zhuyifu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Pei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoli Song
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Chenlai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Tailong Liu
- Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Biological Resources and Adaptive Evolution, Research Center for Ecology, School of Sciences, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, Tibet, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Biology Experimental Teaching Center, School of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China.
| | - Xing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China.
- Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Biological Resources and Adaptive Evolution, Research Center for Ecology, School of Sciences, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, Tibet, China.
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Wu Z, Wang Z, Xie D, Wang H, Zhao A, Wang Y, Wang H, Xu X, Li T, Zhao J. Effects of highland environments on clonal diversity in aquatic plants: An interspecific comparison study on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1040282. [PMID: 36340384 PMCID: PMC9632175 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1040282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Clonal reproduction is one of the most distinctive characteristics of plants and is common and diverse in aquatic macrophytes. The balance between sexual and asexual reproduction is affected by various conditions, especially adverse environments. However, we know little about clonal diversity of aquatic plants under suboptimal conditions, such as at high altitudes, and having this information would help us understand how environmental gradients influence patterns of clonal and genetic variation in freshwater species. The microsatellite data of four aquatic taxa in our previous studies were revisited to estimate clonal and genetic diversity on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Clonal diversity among different genetic groups was compared. Local environmental features were surveyed. Beta regressions were used to identify the environmental factors that significantly explained clonal diversity for relative taxon. The level of clonal diversity from high to low was Stuckenia filiformis > Hippuris vulgaris > Myriophyllum species > Ranunculus section Batrachium species. A positive correlation between clonal and genetic diversity was identified for all taxa, except H. vulgaris. Clonal diversity was affected by climate in S. filiformis and by the local environment in H. vulgaris. For Myriophyllum spp., low elevation and high sediment nutrition were significant for sexual recruitment. The environmental effects on clonal diversity were not significant in R. sect. Batrachium spp. Clonal diversity of aquatic plants is moderate to high and varies greatly in highlands. The effects of breeding systems and environmental factors on the patterns of clonal variation were identified. Elevational gradients, climates and local conditions play different roles in clonal diversity among relative taxon. Our results highlight the importance of sexual recruitment in alpine aquatic plant populations and the influence of environmental factors on the genetic patterns in freshwater species at local and regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa, China
| | - Dong Xie
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The National Wetland Ecosystem Field Station of Taihu Lake, National Forestry Administration, Suzhou, China
| | - Huijun Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Aiwen Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa, China
| | - Yalin Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hanling Wang
- Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xinwei Xu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jindong Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Wagutu GK, Fan X, Fu W, Tengwer MC, Li W, Chen Y. Genetic structure of wild rice Zizania latifolia in an expansive heterogeneous landscape along a latitudinal gradient. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.929944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Global aquatic habitats are undergoing rapid degradation and fragmentation as a result of climate change and changes in land use. Understanding the genetic variability and adaptive potential of aquatic plant species is thus important for conservation purposes. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and structure of the extant natural populations of Zizania latifolia from five river basins in China based on 46 microsatellite markers. We tested isolation by environment (IBE), isolation by resistance (IBR), and isolation by distance (IBD) patterns using a reciprocal causal model (RCM). Furthermore, we elucidated the impact of the environment on Z. latifolia genetic diversity using generalized linear models (GLMs) and spatially explicit mixed models. Low genetic diversity (HE = 0.125–0.433) and high genetic differentiation (FST = 0.641, Øpt = 0.654) were found. Higher historical gene flow (MH = 0.212–2.354) than contemporary gene flow (MC = 0.0112–0.0247) and significant bottlenecks in almost all populations were identified, highlighting the negative impact of wetland fragmentation. The IBE model was exclusively supported for all populations and in three river basins. The IBD and IBR models were supported in one river basin each. The maximum temperature of the warmest month and precipitation seasonality were the plausible environmental parameters responsible for the observed pattern of genetic diversity. Local adaptation signatures were found, with nine loci identified as outliers, four of which were gene-linked and associated with environmental variables. Based on these findings, IBE is more important than IBD and IBR in shaping the genetic structure of Z. latifolia.
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Wu Z, Wang Z, Xie D, Zhang J, Cai P, Li X, Xu X, Li T, Zhao J. Extensive Sympatry and Frequent Hybridization of Ecologically Divergent Aquatic Plants on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:851151. [PMID: 35646042 PMCID: PMC9135455 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.851151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization has fascinated biologists in recent centuries for its evolutionary importance, especially in plants. Hybrid zones are commonly located in regions across environmental gradients due to more opportunities to contact and ecological heterogeneity. For aquatic taxa, intrazonal character makes broad overlapping regions in intermediate environments between related species. However, we have limited information on the hybridization pattern of aquatic taxa in alpines, especially submerged macrophytes. In this study, we aimed to test the hypotheses that niche overlap and hybridization might be extensive in related aquatic plants across an altitudinal gradient. We evaluated the niche overlap in three related species pairs on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and assessed the spatial pattern of hybrid populations. Obvious niche overlap and common hybridization were revealed in all three pairs of related aquatic plants. The plateau edge and river basins were broad areas for the sympatry of divergent taxa, where a large proportion of hybrid populations occurred. Hybrids are also discretely distributed in diverse habitats on the plateau. Differences in the extent of niche overlap, genetic incompatibility and phylogeographic history might lead to variation differences in hybridization patterns among the three species pairs. Our results suggested that plateau areas are a hotspot for ecologically divergent aquatic species to contact and mate and implied that hybridization may be important for the freshwater biodiversity of highlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Xie
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- National Wetland Ecosystem Field Station of Taihu Lake, National Forestry Administration, Suzhou, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Pengsen Cai
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinwei Xu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jindong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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