Open AccessHybrid zone of a tree in a Cerrado/Atlantic Forest ecotone as a hotspot of genetic diversity and conservation
Author(s) -
Muniz André Carneiro,
Pimenta Ricardo José Gonzaga,
Cruz Mariana Vargas,
Rodrigues Jacqueline Gomes,
Buzatti Renata Santiago de Oliveira,
Heuertz Myriam,
LemosFilho José P.,
Lovato Maria Bernadete
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.8540
Subject(s) - ecotype , ecotone , ecology , threatened species , biology , genetic diversity , genetic divergence , biodiversity , biodiversity hotspot , dung beetle , hybrid zone , gene flow , habitat , genetic variation , population , demography , sociology , biochemistry , scarabaeidae , gene
Abstract The Cerrado, the largest Neotropical savanna, and the Brazilian Atlantic Forest form large ecotonal areas where savanna and forest habitats occupy adjacent patches with closely related species occurring side by side, providing opportunities for hybridization. Here, we investigated the evolutionary divergence between the savanna and forest ecotypes of the widely distributed tree Plathymenia reticulata ( n = 233 individuals). Genetic structure analysis of P . reticulata was congruent with the recognition of two ecotypes, whose divergence captured the largest proportion of genetic variance in the data ( F CT = 0.222 and F ST = 0.307). The ecotonal areas between the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest constitute a hybrid zone in which a diversity of hybrid classes was observed, most of them corresponding to second‐generation hybrids (F2) or backcrosses. Gene flow occurred mainly toward the forest ecotype. The genetic structure was congruent with isolation by environment, and environmental correlates of divergence were identified. The observed pattern of high genetic divergence between ecotypes may reflect an incipient speciation process in P . reticulata . The low genetic diversity of the P . reticulata forest ecotype indicate that it is threatened in areas with high habitat loss on Atlantic Forest. In addition, the high divergence from the savanna ecotype suggests it should be treated as a different unit of management. The high genetic diversity found in the ecotonal hybrid zone supports the view of ecotones as important areas for the origin and conservation of biodiversity in the Neotropics.