The consequences of mating system and dispersal potential on the genetic
structure of leaf-inhabiting bryophyte metapopulations in a fragmented
Amazonian landscape
Abstract
Patch size and connectivity are the main predictors of population
demographic and genetic stability. Habitat fragmentation continues at
unprecedented rates justly affecting plant functional connectivity
worldwide. However, few terrestrial plant groups have sufficiently
foreshortened generation times in which to empirically disentangle the
demographic and genetic consequences of reduced patch size and
connectivity. Herein, we combine evidence from long-term (15 yr.)
population censuses of two epiphyllous bryophytes and population genetic
estimates in an experimentally fragmented Amazonian landscape to create
a profile of the eco-evolutionary impacts of reduced habitat
connectivity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from
Genotyping by Sequencing were used to analyze genetic patterns among
fragmented (1-, 10- and 100-ha) and continuous forests. In the context
of the world’s most diverse biome, fragmentation induces marked effects
on plant population demography and genetic differentiation. Declines in
colonization events in small patches (1- and 10-ha), associated with
reduced colony densities, led to accelerated genotypic differentiation
(genetic drift) compared to 100-ha fragment and continuous forests.
Furthermore, the mating system was related to differential
sensitivities to the intensity of fragmentation. Unexpectedly, the
unisexual species (hypothesized to be more challenged in terms of spore
output) was characterized by higher migration rates among smaller
patches than its bisexual counterpart. These results point to the
complex and unpredictable patterns revealed when life history
strategies, demography, and plant genetic structure are simultaneously
evaluated in the context of the long-term effects of reduced landscape
connectivity.