Repository logo
 
Publication

Frayed at the edges: selective pressure and adaptive response to abiotic stressors are mismatched in low diversity edge populations

2009-05Journal article Open access
Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorPearson, Gareth
dc.contributor.authorLago-Lestón, Asunción
dc.contributor.authorMota, Catarina
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-07T14:57:49Z
dc.date.available2018-12-07T14:57:49Z
dc.date.issued2009-05
dc.description.abstractTheory predicts that population structure and dynamics affect a population's capacity for adaptation to environmental change. For isolated, small and fragmented populations at the trailing edge of species distributions, loss of genetic diversity through random genetic drift may reduce adaptive potential and fitness levels for complex traits. This has important consequences for understanding population responses to, for example changing climate, but has rarely been tested in natural populations. We measured the intertidal thermal environment and tidal exposure (emersion) times for natural populations of the intertidal seaweed Fucus serratus at the centre (southwest UK) and southern edge (northern Portugal) of its range in the Eastern Atlantic, and for a congener, F. vesiculosus, whose range extends further south to Morocco. Fitness-related traits of individuals at each location were measured in common garden experiments: physiological resilience to desiccation and heat shock (PSII quantum yield), and the molecular phenotype of the heat shock response (quantitative PCR of heat shock protein gene transcripts). The realized thermal environment experienced by F. serratus was similar at the centre and southern edge of its distribution because the maximum shore height (and emersion period) was reduced in southern populations. For F. vesiculosus, thermal maxima were higher and occurred more frequently in the south, although maximum vertical height (emersion time) remained similar to central populations. Edge populations of F. serratus were less resilient to desiccation and heat shock than central populations, and expression of heat shock genes was higher at the same temperature, suggesting greater cellular stress. In contrast, there was no evidence for physiological divergence in heat shock response in F. vesiculosus, and little variation in gene expression. Synthesis. We provide evidence that compared with range-centre populations upper intertidal limits of F. serratus at the southern edge are 'pruned back' by abiotic stressors. Rather than being locally adapted, these small populations are less resilient to abiotic stresses and experience greater cellular stress during heat shock. These results suggest that ongoing climate forcing factors may threaten small, fragmented rear edge populations because of inherently reduced fitness and lower adaptive capacity relative to larger central populations.
dc.description.sponsorshipNetwork of excellence Marine Genomics Europe (EU); FCT-FEDER; FCT-ESF
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01481.x
dc.identifier.issn0022-0477
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/11716
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherWiley
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectWestern english channel
dc.subjectClimate change
dc.subjectFucus serratus
dc.subjectWave exposure
dc.subjectThermal physiology
dc.subjectFucoid algae
dc.subjectBrown algae
dc.subjectLimits
dc.subjectTemperature
dc.subjectAdaptation
dc.titleFrayed at the edges: selective pressure and adaptive response to abiotic stressors are mismatched in low diversity edge populations
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.endPage462
oaire.citation.issue3
oaire.citation.startPage450
oaire.citation.titleJournal of Ecology
oaire.citation.volume97
person.familyNamePearson
person.familyNameLago-Lestón
person.familyNameMota
person.givenNameGareth Anthony
person.givenNameAsunción
person.givenNameCatarina
person.identifier113536
person.identifier.ciencia-id3315-9919-1A52
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0768-464X
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-4361-7732
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-5440-9157
person.identifier.ridJ-3911-2013
person.identifier.ridM-4281-2013
person.identifier.scopus-author-id55916875600
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57193972525
person.identifier.scopus-author-id26432721100
rcaap.rightsopenAccess
rcaap.typearticle
relation.isAuthorOfPublication0a10c448-c7f5-4c3b-9488-3917c707e35e
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationcf3375ea-836f-4de2-9cd6-fde518b26838
relation.isAuthorOfPublication13562257-7d6a-40de-9213-ed8fecf15309
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery0a10c448-c7f5-4c3b-9488-3917c707e35e

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Frayed at the edges.pdf
Size:
1.35 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

CCM2-Artigos (em revistas ou actas indexadas)