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Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology
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Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 10716

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Pei-Chun Liao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, 88 Ting-Chow Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, Taiwan, China
Interests: population genetics; phylogeography; speciation; hybridization and introgression; molecular evolution; population ecology; microbial ecology; other ecological and evolutionary issues that can be solved by genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are two mechanisms by which organisms resist environmental stress, especially for those sessile organisms, like plants. Plants developed unique evolutionary and ecological processes facing environmental changes and spatial heterogeneity. In the 21st century, the rapid development of omics and statistical methods help us to understand the adaptive mechanisms behind the interaction between species and the environment. More and more research, whether it is autecology, population ecology, or synecology, has developed rapidly with the advancement of methods. Through increasing studies of the model and non-model species, our understanding of science has evolved from the description of the phenomena to the process, and goes deep into the mechanism.

The evolution of plants is closely related to their growth environment. The interaction between plants and surrounding organisms and the environment affect demographic change in plant populations. The population change of a single plant will change the entire community structure and even affect the balance of the whole ecosystem. The mechanisms affecting population dynamics can be as large as an ecological scale, or as small as genetic changes. It is not only the intersection between space and time, but also the link between ecology and evolution. Studying plant adaptation from a molecular perspective to the environmental scale is essential for understanding why and how a plant grows in a specific environment.

This Special Issue accepts case studies on how genetic evolution and population ecological mechanisms face environmental changes or spatial heterogeneity. A broad range of studies from molecular evolution to population ecology are within the scope of this Special Issue. We welcome any study using tools of ecology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other omics. Theoretical models, empirical studies, perspectives, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Pei-Chun Liao
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Reproduction and survival strategies
  • Resource allocation and competition
  • Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity
  • Demographic change under climate change
  • Population structure in spatial heterogeneity
  • Selective pressure on specific genes
  • Adaptation of polyploidy in ecological and evolutionary perspectives

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2540 KiB  
Article
Population Genetic Structure and Diversity of Cryptic Species of the Plant Genus Macrocarpaea (Gentianaceae) from the Tropical Andes
by Julien C. Vieu, Darina Koubínová and Jason R. Grant
Plants 2023, 12(8), 1710; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081710 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1502
Abstract
The Pleistocene climatic oscillations (PCO) that provoked several cycles of glacial–interglacial periods are thought to have profoundly affected species distribution, richness and diversity around the world. While the effect of the PCO on population dynamics at temperate latitudes is well known, considerable questions [...] Read more.
The Pleistocene climatic oscillations (PCO) that provoked several cycles of glacial–interglacial periods are thought to have profoundly affected species distribution, richness and diversity around the world. While the effect of the PCO on population dynamics at temperate latitudes is well known, considerable questions remain about its impact on the biodiversity of neotropical mountains. Here, we use amplified fragment length polymorphism molecular markers (AFLPs) to investigate the phylogeography and genetic structure of 13 plant species belonging to the gentian genus Macrocarpaea (Gentianaceae) in the tropical Andes. These woody herbs, shrubs or small trees show complex and potentially reticulated relationships, including cryptic species. We show that populations of M. xerantifulva in the dry system of the Rio Marañón in northern Peru have lower levels of genetic diversity compared to other sampled species. We suggest that this is due to a recent demographic bottleneck resulting from the contraction of the montane wet forests into refugia because of the expansion of the dry system into the valley during the glacial cycles of the PCO. This may imply that the ecosystems of different valleys of the Andes might have responded differently to the PCO. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology)
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20 pages, 4572 KiB  
Article
Pattern of Adaptive Divergence in Zingiber kawagoii Hayata (Zingiberaceae) along a Narrow Latitudinal Range
by Yi-Shao Li, Pei-Chun Liao, Chung-Te Chang and Shih-Ying Hwang
Plants 2022, 11(19), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192490 - 23 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1653
Abstract
Ecological and evolutionary processes linking adaptation to environment are related to species’ range shifts. In this study, we employed amplified-fragment-length-polymorphism-based genome scan methods to identify candidate loci among Zingiber kawagoii populations inhabiting varying environments distributed at low to middle elevations (143–1488 m) in [...] Read more.
Ecological and evolutionary processes linking adaptation to environment are related to species’ range shifts. In this study, we employed amplified-fragment-length-polymorphism-based genome scan methods to identify candidate loci among Zingiber kawagoii populations inhabiting varying environments distributed at low to middle elevations (143–1488 m) in a narrow latitudinal range (between 21.90 and 25.30° N). Here, we show evidence of selection driving the divergence of Z. kawagoii. Twenty-six FST outliers were detected, which were significantly correlated with various environmental variables. The allele frequencies of nine FST outliers were either positively or negatively correlated with the population mean FST. Using several independent approaches, we found environmental variables act in a combinatorial fashion, best explaining outlier genetic variation. Nonetheless, we found that adaptive divergence was affected mostly by annual temperature range, and it is significantly positively correlated with latitude and significantly negatively correlated with the population mean FST. This study addresses a latitudinal pattern of changes in annual temperature range (which ranged from 13.8 °C in the Lanyu population to 18.5 °C in the Wulai population) and emphasizes the pattern of latitudinal population divergence closely linked to the allele frequencies of adaptive loci, acting in a narrow latitudinal range. Our results also indicate environmentally dependent local adaptation for both leading- and trailing-edge populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology)
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16 pages, 1970 KiB  
Article
Genetic Structure of Native Blue Honeysuckle Populations in the Western and Eastern Eurasian Ranges
by Donatas Naugžemys, Jolanta Patamsytė, Silva Žilinskaitė, Yoichiro Hoshino, Audrius Skridaila and Donatas Žvingila
Plants 2022, 11(11), 1480; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111480 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2045
Abstract
Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a promising berry crop producing edible early-ripening berries with a valuable chemical composition. We evaluated the genetic diversity of native L. caerulea populations from the western (Baltic states) and eastern (the Russian Far East and Japan) [...] Read more.
Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a promising berry crop producing edible early-ripening berries with a valuable chemical composition. We evaluated the genetic diversity of native L. caerulea populations from the western (Baltic states) and eastern (the Russian Far East and Japan) edges of the Eurasian range using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and chloroplast DNA (psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF) markers. The genetic relationships of populations and genotypes were analyzed using principal coordinate and cluster analyses (neighbor joining and Bayesian clustering). Sampling was carried out in two disjunct areas of this circumpolar species and the analyses showed clustering of individuals and populations according to geographic origin. The analysis of genetic structure based on ISSR markers showed that the studied populations of L. caerulea were highly differentiated. However, sequence analysis of two chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) regions revealed no phylogeographic structure among the populations. We also found that the eastern populations of blue honeysuckle had significantly greater genetic diversity parameters than the populations from the Baltic region. This finding correlates with the endangered status of blue honeysuckle in the Baltic states. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology)
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12 pages, 3339 KiB  
Article
Different Roles of Introgression on the Demographic Change in Two Snakebark Maples, Acer caudatifolium and A. morrisonense, with Contrasted Postglacial Expansion Routes
by Min-Xin Luo, Yi-Ting Tseng, Jui-Tse Chang, Chien-Ti Chao and Pei-Chun Liao
Plants 2022, 11(5), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11050644 - 26 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1894
Abstract
Hybridization frequently occurs in plant species. With repeated backcross, the introgression may influence evolutionary trajectories through the entry of foreign genes. However, the genetic admixture via hybridization events is often confused with the ancestral polymorphism, especially in closely related species that have experienced [...] Read more.
Hybridization frequently occurs in plant species. With repeated backcross, the introgression may influence evolutionary trajectories through the entry of foreign genes. However, the genetic admixture via hybridization events is often confused with the ancestral polymorphism, especially in closely related species that have experienced similar evolutionary events. In Taiwan, two independent-originated endemic snakebark maples have contrasted postglacial range expansion routes: northward and upward expansion in Acer caudatifolium and downward expansion in A. morrisonense. The range expansion causes the current parapatric distribution, increasing the possibility of introgression. This study elucidates how their genetic variation reflects introgression and historical demography. With 17 EST-SSR markers among the intensely sampled 657 individuals, we confirmed that the genetic admixture between species mainly was attributed to recent introgression instead of common ancestral polymorphism. The secondary contact scenario inferred by approximate Bayesian computation suggested that A. morrisonense received more genetic variations from A. caudatifolium. Introgression occurred in colonized Taiwan around the early Last Glacial Period. Furthermore, the demography of A. caudatifolium was more severely affected by introgression than A. morrisonense, especially in the wavefront populations with high altitude range expansion, implying an altitude-related adaptive introgression. In contrast, A. morrisonense exhibited ubiquitous introgression independent of postglacial expansion, suggesting that introgression in A. morrisonense was neutral. In terms of different genetic consequences, introgression had different demographic impacts on species with different altitude expansion directions even under the same climate-change conditions within an island. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology)
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12 pages, 1228 KiB  
Article
Environmental Heterogeneity Leads to Spatial Differences in Genetic Diversity and Demographic Structure of Acer caudatifolium
by Min-Xin Luo, Hsin-Pei Lu, Min-Wei Chai, Jui-Tse Chang and Pei-Chun Liao
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1646; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081646 - 10 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
Under climate fluctuation, species dispersal may be disturbed by terrain and local climate, resulting in uneven spatial-genetic structure. In addition, organisms at different latitudes may be differentially susceptible to climate change. Here, we tracked the seed dispersal of Acer caudatifolium using chloroplast DNA [...] Read more.
Under climate fluctuation, species dispersal may be disturbed by terrain and local climate, resulting in uneven spatial-genetic structure. In addition, organisms at different latitudes may be differentially susceptible to climate change. Here, we tracked the seed dispersal of Acer caudatifolium using chloroplast DNA to explore the relationships of terrain and local climate heterogeneity with range shifts and demography in Taiwan. Our results showed that the extant populations have shifted upward and northward to the mountains since the Last Glacial Maximum. The distributional upshift of A. caudatifolium is in contrast to the downward expansion of its closest relative in Taiwan, A. morrisonense. The northern populations of A. caudatifolium have acquired multiple-source chlorotypes and harbor high genetic diversity. However, effective gene flow between the north and south is interrupted by topography, geographic distance, north-south differences in October rainfall, and other climate heterogeneities, blocking southward genetic rescue. In addition, winter monsoon-driven rainfall may cause regional differences in the phenological schedule, resulting in adaptive effects on the timing of range shift and the genetic draft of chlorotype distribution. Terrain, distance, and local climate also differentiate the northernmost populations from the others, supporting the previous taxonomic treatment of Acer kawakamii var. taitonmontanum as an independent variety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Molecular Evolution and Population Ecology)
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