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Genetic Consequences of Multigenerational and Landscape Colonisation Bottlenecks for a Neotropical Forest Pioneer Tree, Vochysia ferruginea

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Abstract

Deforestation and abandonment of neotropical agricultural land has led to rapid exploitation by pioneer species. As recolonised populations may be founded by a limited number of individuals, there is significant potential for genetic bottlenecks. Previous studies of pioneer tree dynamics have failed to consider population density interactions (by sampling populations with different densities) and the multigenerational consequences of recolonisation. In this paper we examine the genetic outcomes of a clearance/recolonisation regime for a Costa Rican long-lived pioneer species, Vochysia ferruginea, at a series of sites with different densities and across multi-generational cohorts (old growth forest, secondary forest and seedlings) using variation for amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLPs) and single sequence repeats (SSRs, microsatellites). A clearance/recolonisation phase was found to significantly increase fine-scale genetic structuring (average intensity of spatial genetic structure, Sp [SSR] = 0.0358) compared to old growth forest (Sp = 0.0126), and significantly reduces genetic diversity (Shannon’s index [AFLP] = 0.202 and 0.271–0.355 for other forest histories following density correction), which compounds over generations (e.g. at Tirimbina: old growth forest, allelic richness, RT [SSR] = 8.86; secondary forest RT = 7.95; seedlings RT = 4.76). Spatial structuring of closely related individuals suggests that V. ferruginea colonises sites via early invaders, which establish patches with half sib relationship. The variability observed between cohorts for genetic differentiation and inbreeding coefficients suggests that the presence of remnant trees can have an important impact on the genetic make up of recolonised populations. One main concern from these results is that if secondary forest blocks harbour reduced genetic diversity and persist in the landscape, then species like V. ferruginea may be forced into a downward spiral of diversity loss if old growth remnants, which harbour higher diversity, are cleared and secondary blocks are used as reforestation sources.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the European Commission DG RESEARCH INCO-DEV for financial support as this work was partially funded as part of the EU INCO project, Contract Number ICA4-CT-2001-10101. Sampling was completed under the guidance of and with assistance from Gustavo Hernandez, Vicente Herrera and Lionel Coto, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Costa Rica.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia

    Sam J. Davies & Andrew J. Lowe

  2. Department for Environment and Heritage, State Herbarium of South Australia, Science Resource Centre, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia

    Sam J. Davies & Andrew J. Lowe

  3. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK

    Sam J. Davies & Stephen Cavers

  4. Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza, Turrialba, Costa Rica

    Bryan Finegan & Carlos Navarro

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  1. Sam J. Davies
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  2. Stephen Cavers
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  4. Carlos Navarro
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  5. Andrew J. Lowe
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Correspondence to Andrew J. Lowe.

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Communicated by: Ray Ming

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Davies, S.J., Cavers, S., Finegan, B. et al. Genetic Consequences of Multigenerational and Landscape Colonisation Bottlenecks for a Neotropical Forest Pioneer Tree, Vochysia ferruginea . Tropical Plant Biol. 3, 14–27 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12042-010-9040-7

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