Biogeographical links between steppe insects in the Monegros region (Aragón, NE Spain), the eastern Mediterranean, and central Asia

Ribera, Ignacio; Blasco-Zumeta, Javier

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.1998.00226.x

Cited by 69 publications

(63 citation statements)

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“…hispanica . These two facts suggest more than one cycle of range expansion in the north and in the south, either during the Pliocene (5.3–2.6 Mya), when the emerged land in the south‐eastern and eastern Iberian Peninsula allowed the formation of a migration corridor between these areas (Martín et al ., ), and/or during the Pleistocene (2.6–0.01 Mya), when the increased climatic aridity during glaciations could have triggered a wider dispersal of the plants (Ribera & Blasco‐Zumeta, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the impact of such cyclical climate changes on gypsophyte populations is still unclear. Some studies have shown that the northernmost Iberian gypsum outcrops in the Ebro valley were not directly affected by ice sheets (Ribera & Blasco‐Zumeta, ). However, global cooling during glaciations caused an increase in aridity in these territories, which could have favoured the expansion of drought‐adapted plants, such as gypsophytes, and facilitated the connectivity between previously isolated populations (Gornitz, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic diversity, genetic structure and phylogeography of the Iberian endemicGypsophila struthium(Caryophyllaceae) as revealed by AFLP and plastid DNA sequences: connecting habitat fragmentation and diversification

et al. 2013

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Iberian gypsum outcrops are highly fragmented and ecologically challenging environments for plant colonization. As gypsophytes occur exclusively in such habitats, they are ideal models for the study of both the effects of habitat fragmentation and selection on population genetic diversity and structure. In this study, we used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and plastid DNA sequences to investigate the phylogeographical history of the Iberian plant Gypsophila struthium (Caryophyllaceae), a widespread endemic restricted to Iberian gypsum outcrops. Gypsophila struthium consists of two subspecies that differ in the architecture of their inflorescence and have mostly allopatric ranges. Gypsophila struthium subsp. struthium occurs in central, eastern and south‐eastern Iberia, whereas G. struthium subsp. hispanica occurs in northern and eastern areas. AFLPs revealed low but significant genetic differentiation between the subspecies, probably as a result of a recent diversification during the Pliocene–Pleistocene. In the geographical contact zone between the taxa, the Bayesian analyses revealed populations with mixed ancestries and genetic clusters predominantly of one or the other subspecies, indicating incomplete reproductive barriers between them. Plastid DNA haplotypes revealed strong geographical structure and testified to processes of isolation by distance and continuous range expansion for some haplotype clades. The Bayesian analyses of the population structure of AFLP data and nested clade phylogeographical analysis (NCPA) of plastid haplotypes revealed that the putative ancestral range corresponded to central and eastern populations of G. struthium subsp. struthium, with those lineages contributing through more recent expansion to increased genetic diversity and structure of the south‐eastern and eastern ranges of this subspecies and to the diversification of G. struthium subsp. hispanica in northern and eastern gypsum outcrops. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 173, 654–675.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity, genetic structure and phylogeography of the Iberian endemicGypsophila struthium(Caryophyllaceae) as revealed by AFLP and plastid DNA sequences: connecting habitat fragmentation and diversification

et al. 2013

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“…These figures indicate a stronger genetic depletion of the NE Spain populations as the result of a recent founder event with subsequent range expansion and/or an in situ bottleneck due to population size reduction with subsequent population growth. Furthermore, the NE Spain basin Tertiary flora and fauna apparently shows long continuity (Ribera & Blasco‐Zumeta 1998) and the low altitude of the Ebro valley range (< 700 m above sea level) precludes any past history of Quaternary ice sheet coverage. While most of the Iberian mountain and high‐plateau ranges have been regarded as potential glacial refugia for oreophyte and steppe taxa (Taberlet et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The phylogeographical history of the Iberian steppe plant Ferula loscosii (Apiaceae): a test of the abundant‐centre hypothesis

et al. 2009

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The geology and climate of the western Mediterranean area were strongly modified during the Late Tertiary and the Quaternary. These geological and climatic events are thought to have induced changes in the population histories of plants in the Iberian Peninsula. However, fine-scale genetic spatial architecture across western Mediterranean steppe plant refugia has rarely been investigated. A population genetic analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphism variation was conducted on present-day, relict populations of Ferula loscosii (Apiaceae). This species exhibits high individual/population numbers in the middle Ebro river valley and, according to the hypothesis of an abundant-centre distribution, these northern populations might represent a long-standing/ancestral distribution centre. However, our results suggest that the decimated southern and central Iberian populations are more variable and structured than the northeastern ones, representing the likely vestiges of an ancestral distribution centre of the species. Phylogeographical analysis suggests that F. loscosii likely originated in southern Spain and then migrated towards the central and northeastern ranges, further supporting a Late Miocene southern-bound Mediterranean migratory way for its oriental steppe ancestors. In addition, different glacial-induced conditions affected the southern and northern steppe Iberian refugia during the Quaternary. The contrasting genetic homogeneity of the Ebro valley range populations compared to the southern Iberian ones possibly reflects more severe bottlenecks and subsequent genetic drift experienced by populations of the northern Iberia refugium during the Pleistocene, followed by successful postglacial expansion from only a few founder plants.

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“…The estimate of droppings is even more important in our study if we consider that inland hypersaline habitats of M. wagneri are, by extension, shared by many macroinvertebrate species of great conservation interest within territories of high conservation concern. These include rare and fragmented taxa adapted to salinity, endemics dependent on salted soils, halophilous vegetation, or terrestrial steppic macroinvertebrates that find refuge from agriculture in these hypersaline ecosystems (Williams 1973, Ribera and Blasco-Zumeta 1998, Ribera 2000, Martín-Herrero et al 2003, Abellán et al 2005, Cordero et al 2007a, Cordero and Llorente 2008, Pichaco-García and Ramos 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of grazing on populations of the specialist grasshopper Mioscirtus wagneri inhabiting hypersaline habitats in La Mancha Region, Central Spain

Aguirre¹,

Ortego²

2018

JOR

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Grazing is an influential land use that has introduced profound changes in worldwide landscapes, ecosystems and their species. In this paper, we analysed the influence of grazing on the presence and abundance of the endangered Mioscirtus wagneri, a monophagous grasshopper inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems in Spain and showing a marked spatial and genetic fragmentation. Using count transects, we analyzed the presence and abundance of this grasshopper in relation to specific vegetation cover and the abundance of goat and sheep droppings, considering this variable as a surrogate of livestock activity and grazing impact. We found that both the presence and abundance of M. wagneri were positively related to the cover of its host plant Suaeda vera and negatively associated with the abundance of droppings. We conclude that dropping abundance is a useful parameter to assess livestock impact and evaluate habitat quality and the conservation status of M. wagneri and many other singular species of macroinvertebrates inhabiting inland hypersaline ecosystems. We highly recommend the use of electric shepherd fencing around all sensitive and protected areas where inland hypersaline ecosystems are present in order to deter livestock. We also suggest intensive educational campaigns for farmers and shepherds, revealing the ecological importance of these singular and unique habitats for rare and exclusive species like M. wagneri and many other coexisting plants and invertebrates. Key wordsCastilla-La Mancha, conservation, grazing management, inland hypersaline ecosystems, livestock droppings, Suaeda vera IntroductionHistorical and current grazing activities are an important influence on the landscape and, thus, on plant and animal community composition (González Bernáldez 1981, Blondel andAronson 1999). However, intense grazing activities may alter the soil, exerting a negative impact on species biodiversity (Fleischner 1994). Intensive browsing, trampling, and resting on the ground can have a negative impact on the vegetation cover, increasing the proportion of bare soil and aggravating the effects of periods of drought (Ledesma 2000, Gardiner andHaines 2008). However, other studies have found an opposite effect (Kisbenedek 1995, Pocco et al. 2010. In fact, grazing activities can have opposite effects on the biodiversity of both plant and animal communities depending on grazing management, intensity and the characteristics of the affected area (e.g. Rook and Tallowin 2003, Cingolani et al. 2005, Branson et al. 2006, Debano 2006, Dumont et al. 2009, Krausman et al. 2009, Báldi et al. 2013. Grazing contributes to habitat heterogeneity for Orthoptera when moderate (Fartmann et al. 2012). However, the influence of grazing on the abundance of orthopterans varies with grazing management and season (Gebeyehu and Samways 2003). Different studies have found that rotational grazing may be beneficial for orthopteran communities whereas total absence of grazing may be negative for orthopteran populations in other cases (Gebeye...

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Biogeographical links between steppe insects in the Monegros region (Aragón, NE Spain), the eastern Mediterranean, and central Asia

Cited by 69 publications

References 50 publications

Genetic diversity, genetic structure and phylogeography of the Iberian endemicGypsophila struthium(Caryophyllaceae) as revealed by AFLP and plastid DNA sequences: connecting habitat fragmentation and diversification

Genetic diversity, genetic structure and phylogeography of the Iberian endemicGypsophila struthium(Caryophyllaceae) as revealed by AFLP and plastid DNA sequences: connecting habitat fragmentation and diversification

The phylogeographical history of the Iberian steppe plant Ferula loscosii (Apiaceae): a test of the abundant‐centre hypothesis

Influence of grazing on populations of the specialist grasshopper Mioscirtus wagneri inhabiting hypersaline habitats in La Mancha Region, Central Spain

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