Insights into the biogeographical history of the Lower Guinea Forest Domain: evidence for the role of refugia in the intraspecific differentiation of Aucoumea klaineana

Determining the biogeographical histories of rainforests is central to our understanding of the present distribution of tropical biodiversity. Ice age fragmentation of central African rainforests strongly influenced species distributions. Elevated areas characterized by higher species richness and endemism have been postulated to be Pleistocene forest refugia. However, it is often difficult to separate the effects of history and of present-day ecological conditions on diversity patterns at the interspecific level. Intraspecific genetic variation could yield new insights into history, because refugia hypotheses predict patterns not expected on the basis of contemporary environmental dynamics. Here, we test geographically explicit hypotheses of vicariance associated with the presence of putative refugia and provide clues about their location. We intensively sampled populations of Aucoumea klaineana, a forest tree sensitive to forest fragmentation, throughout its geographical range. Characterizing variation at 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, we were able to obtain phylogeographic data of unprecedented detail for this region. Using Bayesian clustering approaches, we demonstrated the presence of four differentiated genetic units. Their distribution matched that of forest refugia postulated from patterns of species richness and endemism. Our data also show differences in diversity dynamics at leading and trailing edges of the species' shifting distribution. Our results confirm predictions based on refugia hypotheses and cannot be explained on the basis of present-day ecological conditions.     

Molecular signatures of Pleistocene sea-level changes that affected connectivity among freshwater shrimp in Indo-Australian waters

A major paradigm in evolutionary biology asserts that global climate change during the Pleistocene often led to rapid and extensive diversification in numerous taxa. Recent phylogenetic data suggest that past climatic oscillations may have promoted long-distance marine dispersal in some freshwater crustacea from the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA). Whether this pattern is common, and whether similar processes are acting on diversification below the species level is unknown. We used nuclear and mitochondrial molecular variation in a freshwater-dependent decapod crustacean (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), sampled widely from the IAA, to assess the impact of Pleistocene sea-level changes on lineage diversification in this species. Fitting of an isolation with migration model enabled us to reject ongoing migration among lineages, and results indicate that isolation among both mainland-mainland and mainland-island lineages arose during the mid-Pleistocene. Our data suggest a scenario of widespread marine dispersal during Pleistocene glacial maxima (in support of the 'Pleistocene marine dispersal hypothesis') when sea levels were low, and geographical distances between fresh watersheds were greatly reduced, followed by increased isolation as sea levels subsequently rose.     

小叶栎分布格局对末次盛冰期以来气候变化的响应

小叶栎(Quercus chenii)是华东植物区系的代表树种, 具有很高的生态、经济价值。为重建冰期以来小叶栎地理分布格局的变迁历史、了解环境因子对潜在地理分布的制约机制, 为小叶栎种质资源保护和管理提供科学依据, 该研究基于55条分布记录和8个环境变量, 利用MaxEnt模型模拟小叶栎在末次盛冰期、全新世中期、现代和2070年(温室气体排放情景为典型浓度目标8.5)的潜在分布区, 利用多元环境相似度面和最不相似变量分析探讨气候变迁过程中环境异常区域和引起潜在地理分布改变的关键因素, 综合应用贡献率及置换重要值比较、Jackknife检验评估制约现代地理分布的主要因子, 采用响应曲线确定环境变量的适宜区间。研究结果表明: MaxEnt模型的预测准确度极高, 受试者工作特征曲线下的面积(AUC值)达0.9869 ± 0.0045; 现代高度适宜区在安徽南部、浙江西部、江西东北部和湖北东部; 影响小叶栎地理分布的主要气候因子为气温和降水量, 气温更重要; 最干季平均气温可能是制约小叶栎向北分布的关键因素; 末次盛冰期时, 小叶栎高度适宜区位于东海大陆架内; 全新世中期适宜分布区轮廓已与现代近似; 2070年适宜分布区向北移, 高度适宜区面积增大, 与末次盛冰期、全新世中期和现代相比, 这一时期的气候异常程度最高。气温季节变化和降水季节变化可能是引起地理分布变迁的重要气候因素。     

孑遗灌木长柄扁桃的历史分布格局及其环境驱动力

为了解历史气候变化背景下分布于中国西北干旱沙漠、半干旱沙地和山地地区的孑遗灌木植物长柄扁桃(Amygdalus pedunculata)的分布与演化, 该研究利用长柄扁桃60个自然分布点和8个环境因子, 整合GIS空间分析和最大熵模型(MaxEnt), 分析珍稀濒危保护物种长柄扁桃末次间冰期(LIG)、末次盛冰期(LGM)和当前的历史地理分布格局变化及其环境驱动力。基于各时期长柄扁桃的分布模型模拟数据及自然种群的叶绿体基因测序数据, 利用最小成本路径方法, 模拟LIG时期以来长柄扁桃可能的扩散路径。利用R语言“ggbiplot”程序包对各时期长柄扁桃适生区的历史环境变量进行主成分分析(PCA), 分析影响长柄扁桃历史分布格局变化的关键气候因子。结果表明: (1) LIG时期以来, 长柄扁桃的历史分布经历了显著收缩和末次盛冰期后的扩张, LIG至LGM时期, 分布于库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地北部、陕西北部、阴山北部、乌兰察布高原南部、浑善达克沙地的适宜分布区明显收缩; LGM时期至今, 长柄扁桃在库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地中部沿北部阴山向东, 以及浑善达克沙地西部均发生了显著扩张。3个时期长柄扁桃均在内蒙古高原中西部存在高度适宜性分布区, 包括毛乌素沙地北缘、库布齐沙漠东缘以及大青山, 这些地区很可能是长柄扁桃的冰期避难所。北部阴山和毛乌素沙地边缘是长柄扁桃种群迁移过程中重要的扩散廊道; (2) LIG至LGM时期, 气温因子: 最冷月最低气温、平均气温日较差和最热月最高气温均呈显著下降的趋势, 冷干气候对长柄扁桃的冰期分布存在较大限制, 适生区显著收缩。而LGM时期至今, 降水因子最湿月降水量和降水量季节性均显著上升, 长柄扁桃在库布齐沙漠东部、毛乌素沙地中部、阴山以及浑善达克沙地西部发生显著扩张, 降水因子也是影响当前适宜分布区的关键限制性因子。     

末次冰盛期以来香果树潜在地理分布格局变迁

香果树是中国特有的单种属孑遗树种,探讨末次冰盛期以来香果树在中国的潜在地理分布格局及其变化,对研究茜草科乃至中国亚热带植物区系的系统发育、古生态和古气候变迁等具有重要作用。研究基于最大熵MaxEnt模型与ArcGIS空间分析技术,利用香果树分布点位信息与气候数据,构建其在末次冰盛期(LGM)、全新世中期(MID)、当前(1960—1990年)以及未来(2061—2080年)的潜在地理分布格局,探明其分布格局的变化趋势,揭示引起其潜在地理分布格局改变的关键因子。结果表明,香果树当前适生区总面积约197.575×10⁴ km²,主要位于中国亚热带地区,其中高适生区集中分布于四川盆周山地、武陵山与武夷山地区,最干季度平均温、最湿月降水量、最冷季度降水量是限制其分布的主要气候因子。末次冰盛期时香果树广泛分布于中国亚热带地区,随后适生区开始缩减且向内陆退缩,全新世中期后适生区面积继续缩减并向高纬度地区迁移。随着全球气候变暖,在不同排放情景下香果树适宜生境面积均进一步缩减并向西与高纬度地区迁移。总体而言,从末次冰盛期至未来,香果树适生区呈现持续缩减并向西...