Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations
Abstract Even though pollen and seed dispersals are some of the important factors that determine tree species survival across landscapes, gene dispersal data of important tropical dryland tree species such as Acacia senegal that are undergoing various population disturbances remain scarce. Understan...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10292 |
| _version_ | 1797357908945534976 |
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| author | Stephen F. Omondi Eunice W. Githae Damase P. Khasa |
| author_facet | Stephen F. Omondi Eunice W. Githae Damase P. Khasa |
| author_sort | Stephen F. Omondi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Even though pollen and seed dispersals are some of the important factors that determine tree species survival across landscapes, gene dispersal data of important tropical dryland tree species such as Acacia senegal that are undergoing various population disturbances remain scarce. Understanding patterns of gene dispersal in these ecosystems is important for conservation, landscape restoration and tree improvement. We investigated pollen and seed mediated gene flow in two A. senegal populations of contrasting state (less disturbed and heavily disturbed) using nine microsatellites and 128 genotyping‐by‐sequencing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) multilocus genotypes of two growth stages (juvenile and adult trees) and their spatial locations. We performed parentage assignments using likelihood approach and undertook spatial genetic structure (SGS) analyses for the two growth stages through correlation among kinship coefficients and geographical distances between pair of individuals. The SNPs showed higher resolving power and assignment rates than microsatellites; however, a combination of the two marker‐types improved the assignment rate and provided robust parentage assessments. We found evidence of long‐distance (up to 210 m) pollination events for both populations; however, the majority of seed dispersal was found closer to the putative maternal parent. On average, parentage analysis showed high amounts of pollen (40%) and seed (20%) immigration in both populations. Significant positive SGS was found only for the adult cohorts in the less disturbed population for distance classes 20 and 40 m, indicating historical short‐distance seed dispersals. Our results suggest long‐distance gene flow within the species and we recommend conservation of remnant and isolated populations or individual trees to promote genetic connectivity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-493f486fcd2d4d9bb052de113fe8ed75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-493f486fcd2d4d9bb052de113fe8ed752024-01-11T02:50:02ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-07-01137n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10292Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populationsStephen F. Omondi0Eunice W. Githae1Damase P. Khasa2Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Improvement Kenya Forestry Research Institute Nairobi KenyaDepartment of Biological Sciences Chuka University Chuka KenyaCentre for Forest Research and Institute for Systems and Integrative Biology Université Laval Sainte‐Foy Québec CanadaAbstract Even though pollen and seed dispersals are some of the important factors that determine tree species survival across landscapes, gene dispersal data of important tropical dryland tree species such as Acacia senegal that are undergoing various population disturbances remain scarce. Understanding patterns of gene dispersal in these ecosystems is important for conservation, landscape restoration and tree improvement. We investigated pollen and seed mediated gene flow in two A. senegal populations of contrasting state (less disturbed and heavily disturbed) using nine microsatellites and 128 genotyping‐by‐sequencing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) multilocus genotypes of two growth stages (juvenile and adult trees) and their spatial locations. We performed parentage assignments using likelihood approach and undertook spatial genetic structure (SGS) analyses for the two growth stages through correlation among kinship coefficients and geographical distances between pair of individuals. The SNPs showed higher resolving power and assignment rates than microsatellites; however, a combination of the two marker‐types improved the assignment rate and provided robust parentage assessments. We found evidence of long‐distance (up to 210 m) pollination events for both populations; however, the majority of seed dispersal was found closer to the putative maternal parent. On average, parentage analysis showed high amounts of pollen (40%) and seed (20%) immigration in both populations. Significant positive SGS was found only for the adult cohorts in the less disturbed population for distance classes 20 and 40 m, indicating historical short‐distance seed dispersals. Our results suggest long‐distance gene flow within the species and we recommend conservation of remnant and isolated populations or individual trees to promote genetic connectivity.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10292Acacia senegalanthropogenic disturbancegene dispersalgenetic structuremating systems |
| spellingShingle | Stephen F. Omondi Eunice W. Githae Damase P. Khasa Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations Ecology and Evolution Acacia senegal anthropogenic disturbance gene dispersal genetic structure mating systems |
| title | Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| title_full | Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| title_fullStr | Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| title_short | Long‐distance gene flow in Acacia senegal: Hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| title_sort | long distance gene flow in acacia senegal hope for disturbed and fragmented populations |
| topic | Acacia senegal anthropogenic disturbance gene dispersal genetic structure mating systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10292 |
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