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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Forest fragmentation genetics in a formerly widespread island endemic tree: Vateriopsis seychellarum (Dipterocarpaceae)
Molecular Ecology, Volume 21, No. 10, Year 2012
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Description
Habitat fragmentation and changed land use have seriously reduced population size in many tropical forest tree species. Formerly widespread species with limited gene flow may be particularly vulnerable to the negative genetic effects of forest fragmentation and small population size. Vateriopsis seychellarum (Dipterocarpaceae) is a formerly widespread canopy tree of the Seychelles, but is now reduced to 132 adult individuals distributed in eleven sites. Using ten microsatellite loci, a genetic inventory of all adult trees and a sample of 317 progeny, we demonstrate that despite its restricted range, overall genetic diversity was relatively high (H E: 0.56). The juvenile cohort, however, had significantly lower allelic richness (adults R S: 3.91; juveniles R S: 2.83) and observed heterozygosity than adult trees (adults H O: 0.62; juveniles H O: 0.48). Rare alleles were fewer and kinship between individuals was stronger in juveniles. Significant fine-scale spatial genetic structure was observed in remnant adults, and parentage analysis indicated that more than 90% of sampled progeny disperse <25 m and pollen dispersed <50 m. The molecular data confirmed that two populations were derived entirely from self-fertilized offspring from a single surviving mother tree. These populations produce viable offspring. Despite this extreme genetic bottleneck, self-compatibility may provide V. seychellarum with some resistance to the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation, at least in the short term. We discuss our findings in the context of other rare and threatened dipterocarp species which are vulnerable to miss-management of genetic resources and population fragmentation. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Finger, Aline
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
Kettle, Chris James
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
Kaiser-Bunbury, Christopher N.
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
Denmark, Aarhus
Aarhus Universitet
Valentin, Terence
Seychelles
National Park Authority
Mougal, James
Seychelles
National Park Authority
Ghazoul, J.
Switzerland, Zurich
Eth Zürich
Statistics
Citations: 54
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05543.x
ISSN:
09621083
e-ISSN:
1365294X
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Cohort Study
Study Locations
Seychelles