Parallel changes in genetic diversity and species diversity following a natural disturbance |
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| Authors: | GUILLAUME EVANNO†‡ EMMANUEL CASTELLA§ CÉLINE ANTOINE§ GABRIELLE PAILLAT§ JÉRÔME GOUDET |
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| Institution: | Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;, INRA, UMR 985 ESE, Ecology and Health of Ecosystems, 35000 Rennes, France;, Agrocampus Ouest, UMR 985, 35000 Rennes, France;, Laboratory of Ecology and Aquatic Biology, University of Geneva, 18 chemin des Clochettes, 1206 Genève, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | We examined the spatial and temporal variation of species diversity and genetic diversity in a metacommunity comprising 16 species of freshwater gastropods. We monitored species abundance at five localities of the Ain river floodplain in southeastern France, over a period of four years. Using 190 AFLP loci, we monitored the genetic diversity of Radix balthica , one of the most abundant gastropod species of the metacommunity, twice during that period. An exceptionally intense drought occurred during the last two years and differentially affected the study sites. This allowed us to test the effect of natural disturbances on changes in both genetic and species diversity. Overall, local (alpha) diversity declined as reflected by lower values of gene diversity H S and evenness. In parallel, the among-sites (beta) diversity increased at both the genetic ( F ST) and species ( F STC) levels. These results suggest that disturbances can lead to similar changes in genetic and community structure through the combined effects of selective and neutral processes. |
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| Keywords: | beta diversity biodiversity disturbance floodplain gastropods genetic structure |
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