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Journal article
The geno-geo-climate nexus: contributions of geographic and ecological factors in shaping the genomic divergence of two closely related threatened rainforest species of Fontainea Heckel (Euphorbiaceae)
Landscape Ecology, Vol.39(2), pp.1-18
2024
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Abstract
Context
Processes that shape genomic and ecological divergence can reveal important evolutionary dynamics to inform the conservation of threatened species. Fontainea is a genus of rainforest shrubs and small trees including critically endangered and threatened species restricted to narrow, but complex geographic and ecological regions. Several species of Fontainea are subject to spatially explicit conditions and experience limited intra-specific gene flow, likely generating genetic differentiation and local adaptation.
Objectives
Here, we explored the genetic and ecological mechanisms underlying patterns of diversification in two, closely related threatened Fontainea species. Our aim was to compare spatial patterns of genetic variation between the vulnerable Fontainea australis (Southern Fontainea) and critically endangered F. oraria (Coastal Fontainea), endemic to the heterogeneous subtropical region of central, eastern Australia, where large-scale clearing has severely reduced rainforest habitat to a fraction (< 1%) of its pre-European settlement extent.
Methods
We used a set of 10,000 reduced-representation markers to infer genetic relationships and the drivers of spatial genetic variation across the two species. In addition, we employed a combination of univariate and multivariate genome-environment association analysis using a set of topo-climatic variables to explore potential patterns of local adaptation as a factor impacting genomic divergence.
Results
Our study revealed that Coastal Fontainea have a close genetic relationship with Southern Fontainea. We showed that isolation by distance has played a key role in their genetic variation, indicating that vicariance can explain the spatial genetic distribution of the two species. Genotype-environment analyses showed a strong association with temperature and topographic features, suggesting adaptation to localised thermal environments. We used a multivariate redundancy analysis to identify a range of putatively adapted loci associated with local environmental conditions.
Conclusions
Divergent selection at the local-habitat scale as a result of dispersal limitations and environmental heterogeneity (including physical barriers) are likely contributors to adaptive divergence between the two Fontainea species. Our findings have presented evidence to indicate that Southern and Coastal Fontainea were comprised of distinct genetic groups and ecotypes, that together may form a single species continuum, with further phenotype research suggested to confirm the current species boundaries. Proactive conservation actions, including assisted migration to enhance the resilience of populations lacking stress-tolerant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may be required to secure the long-term future of both taxa. This is especially vital for the critically endangered Coastal Fontainea given projections of habitat decline for the species under future climate scenarios.
Details
- Title
- The geno-geo-climate nexus: contributions of geographic and ecological factors in shaping the genomic divergence of two closely related threatened rainforest species of Fontainea Heckel (Euphorbiaceae)
- Authors
- Aaron J. Brunton (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for BioinnovationKeaka Farleigh (Author) - Miami UniversitySteven M. Ogbourne (Author) - EcoBiotics Ltd.Maurizio Rossetto (Author) - Royal Botanic Garden SydneyDavid S. Schoeman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringGabriel C. Conroy (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
- Publication details
- Landscape Ecology, Vol.39(2), pp.1-18
- Publisher
- Springer Dordrecht
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10980-024-01828-w
- ISSN
- 1572-9761; 0921-2973
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Organisation Unit
- Forest Industries Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99995993202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Geography, Physical
- Geosciences, Multidisciplinary