Effect of disturbances on the genetic diversity of an old-forest associated lichen
- Author:
- Werth S., Wagner H.H., Holderegger R., Kalwij J.M. & Scheidegger C.
- Year:
- 2006
- Journal:
- Molecular Ecology
- Pages:
- 15: 911-921
- Url:
Lichens associated with old forest are commonly assumed to be negatively affected by tree
logging or natural disturbances. However, in this study performed in a spruce-dominated
sylvopastoral landscape in the Swiss Jura Mountains, we found that genetic diversity of the
epiphytic old-forest lichen Lobaria pulmonaria depends on the type of disturbance. We
collected 923 thalli from 41 sampling plots of 1 ha corresponding to the categories standreplacing
disturbance (burnt), intensive logging (logged) and uneven-aged forestry (uneven-aged), and analysed the thalli at six mycobiont-specific microsatellite loci. We found evidence for multiple independent immigrations into demes located in burnt and
logged areas. Using spatial autocorrelation methods, the spatial scale of the genetic structure
caused by the clonal and recombinant component of genetic variation was determined.
Spatial autocorrelation of genotype diversity was strong at short distances up to 50 m in
logged demes, up to 100 m in uneven-aged demes, with the strongest autocorrelation up to
150 m for burnt demes. The spatial autocorrelation was predominantly attributed to clonal
dispersal of vegetative propagules. After accounting for the clonal component, we did not
find significant spatial autocorrelation in gene diversity. This pattern may indicate low
dispersal ranges of clonal propagules, but random dispersal of sexual ascospores. Genetic
diversity was highest in logged demes, and lowest in burnt demes. Our results suggest that
genetic diversity of epiphytic lichen demes may not necessarily be impacted by stand-level
disturbances for extended time periods.
Keywords: landscape genetics, lichenized ascomycetes, Lobaria pulmonaria, microsatellites, population
history, spatial autocorrelation.
- Id:
- 1500
- Submitter:
- zdenek
- Post_time:
- Tuesday, 30 November -0001 00:57