The relative contribution of natural landscapes and human-mediated factors on the connectivity of a noxious invasive weed

Examining how the landscape may influence gene flow is at the forefront of understanding population differentiation and adaptation. Such understanding is crucial in light of ongoing environmental changes and the elevated risk of ecosystems alteration. In particular, knowledge of how humans may influ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heredity 2019-01, Vol.122 (1), p.29-40
Main Authors: Alvarado-Serrano, Diego F, Van Etten, Megan L, Chang, Shu-Mei, Baucom, Regina S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological - genetics
Agricultural land
Agricultural management
Agriculture
Anthropogenic factors
Differentiation
Ecosystem
Ecosystems
Environmental changes
Gene flow
Gene Flow - genetics
Genetic analysis
Genetic Drift
Genetic structure
Genetic Variation - genetics
Genetics, Population
Genomes
Human influences
Human population density
Human populations
Humans
Introduced Species
Ipomoea - genetics
Plant Weeds - genetics
Population
Population Density
Population differentiation
Population genetics
Population structure
Selection, Genetic - genetics
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Summary:Examining how the landscape may influence gene flow is at the forefront of understanding population differentiation and adaptation. Such understanding is crucial in light of ongoing environmental changes and the elevated risk of ecosystems alteration. In particular, knowledge of how humans may influence population structure is imperative to allow for informed decisions in management and conservation as well as to gain a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on the interplay between gene flow, genetic drift, and selection. Here, we use genome-wide molecular markers to characterize the population genetic structure and connectivity of Ipomoea purpurea (Convolvulaceae), a noxious invasive weed. We, likewise, assess the interaction between natural and human-driven influences on genetic differentiation among populations. Our analyses find that human population density is an important predictor of pairwise population differentiation, suggesting that the agricultural and/or horticultural trade may be involved in maintaining some level of connectivity across distant agricultural fields. Climatic variation appears as an additional predictor of genetic connectivity in this species. We discuss the implications of these results and highlight future research needed to disentangle the mechanistic processes underlying population connectivity of weeds.
ISSN:0018-067X
1365-2540
DOI:10.1038/s41437-018-0106-x