Functional connectivity and genetic diversity of Eulaema atleticana (Apidae,Euglossina) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Corridor: assessment of gene flow |
| |
Authors: | Jaqueline Figuerêdo Rosa Mauro Ramalho Maria Cristina Arias |
| |
Institution: | 1. Instituto Federal de Educa??o, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano, Campus Guanambi. Distrito de Ceraíma, Guanambi, Bahia, Brazil;2. Laboratório de Ecologia da Poliniza??o (ECOPOL), Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil;3. Laboratório de Genetica e Evolu??o de Abelhas, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de S?o Paulo, S?o Paulo, Brazil |
| |
Abstract: | The mobility and dispersal of organisms affect population genetics and dynamics, and consequently affect persistence and the risk of extinction. Thus, it is important to understand how organisms move in the fragmented landscapes in order to manage populations and predict the effects of habitat changes on species persistence. This study evaluated the functional connectivity of an orchid bee (Eulaema atleticana Nemésio, 2009) with a high fidelity to forest habitats in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Corridor by analyzing genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure, and gene flow estimated from microsatellite and mitochondrial markers. Genetic diversity was not correlated with area of the forest fragments, or with forest isolation. At the mosaic scale, Eulaema atleticana showed no significant or low genetic differentiation, indicating genetic homogeneity among forest fragments. A previous field study indicated that Eulaema atleticana was one of the most sensitive Euglossina bees to forest fragmentation but the present molecular analyses demonstrates that current gene flow is sufficient to maintain genetic variability at the mosaic scale. |
| |
Keywords: | Atlantic Rain Forest bee dispersal forest fragmentation genetic differentiation humid tropical forest orchid bee |
|
|