Phylogenetic attributes, conservation status and geographical origin of species gained and lost over 50 years in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Elliott, Tammy L.; Davies, T. Jonathan

doi:10.1007/s10531-018-01688-2

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the fusion of ancestral chromosomes that resemble chromosomes from the sister genus Juncus resulting in the dysploid L. sylvatica is intriguing, since it involves a simultaneous shift of centromere organization. The 21 putative Juncus ancestral-like chromosomes merged into six L. sylvatica chromosomes while undergoing additional chromosome rearrangements, genomic reshuffling, and repetitive DNA turnover in the past 56 million years of divergence(Elliott and Davies 2019). Unlike the repeat-mediated chromosome fusions observed in Rhynchospora(Hofstatter et al 2022), fusion sites in L. sylvatica lack genomic footprints, suggesting another mechanism of chromosome fusions during karyotype evolution in Luzula and/or a masking over time by additional chromosomal rearrangements and dynamic repeat turnover.Based on these findings, we propose a multistep model of evolutionary transition to holocentricity in the genus Luzula (Fig.7).…”

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confidence: 98%

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Repeat-based holocentromeres of the woodrushLuzula sylvaticareveal new insights into the evolutionary transition from mono- to holocentricity

Mata-Sucre,

Krátká,

Oliveira

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Although the centromere is restricted to a single region of the chromosome in most studied eukaryotes, members of the rush family (Juncaceae) harbor either monocentric (Juncus) or holocentric (Luzula) chromosomes. This provides an opportunity to study the evolutionary mechanisms involved in the transition to holocentricity. Here by combining chromosome-scale genome assembly, epigenetic analyses, immuno-FISH, and super-resolution microscopy, we report the occurrence of repeat-based holocentromeres in L. sylvatica. We found an irregular distribution of genes, centromeric units, and most repeats along the chromosomes. We determined the centromere function predominantly associated with two satellite DNA repeats, Lusy1 and Lusy2 of 124- and 174-bp monomer length, respectively, while CENH3 also binds satellite-free gene-poor regions. Comparative repeat analysis revealed that Lusy1 is present in most Luzula species, suggesting a conserved centromere role of this repeat. Synteny between L. sylvatica (n = 6) and J. effusus (n = 21) genomes further evidenced a chromosome number reduction in Luzula derived from multiple chromosome fusions of ancestral J. effusus-like chromosomes. We propose that the transition to holocentricity in Luzula involves: (i) fusion of small chromosomes resembling Juncus-like centromeres; (ii) expansion of atypical centromeric units; and (iii) colonization of satellite DNA for centromere stabilization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Repeat-based holocentromeres of the woodrushLuzula sylvaticareveal new insights into the evolutionary transition from mono- to holocentricity

Mata-Sucre,

Krátká,

Oliveira

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…When species functional roles are unknown or difficult to measure, PD may provide a useful conservation target (Vane- Wright et al 1991;Faith 1992). However, the invasion of evolutionarily distinct species could increase PD while providing little or negative ecosystem benefits (Elliott & Davies 2019). The phylogenetic structure of a communityits phylogenetic dispersionprovides an alternative metric for characterising community responses to environmental change, and a guide for conservation management (e.g.…”

Section: Ecosystem Stability and Productivity And Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecophylogenetics redux

Davies

2021

Ecology Letters

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Species’ evolutionary histories shape their present‐day ecologies, but the integration of phylogenetic approaches in ecology has had a contentious history. The field of ecophylogenetics promised to reveal the process of community assembly from simple indices of phylogenetic pairwise distances – communities shaped by environmental filtering were composed of closely related species, whereas communities shaped by competition were composed of less closely related species. However, the mapping of ecology onto phylogeny proved to be not so straightforward, and the field remains mired in controversy. Nonetheless, ecophylogenetic methods provided important advances across ecology. For example the phylogenetic distances between species is a strong predictor of pest and pathogen sharing, and can thus inform models of species invasion, coexistence and the disease dilution/amplification effect of biodiversity. The phylogenetic structure of communities may also provide information on niche space occupancy, helping interpret patterns of facilitation, succession and ecosystem functioning – with relevance for conservation and restoration – and the dynamics among species within foodwebs and metacommunities. I suggest leveraging advances in our understanding of the process of evolution on phylogenetic trees would allow the field to progress further, while maintaining the essence of the original vision that proved so seductive.

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“…the number of deer that a given amount of land can sustainably support (4), estimated to be 5 deer/km 2 . (5) Although extensive surveys of the ora at Mont St. Hilaire have been completed (6), some questions remain about how the population of white-tailed deer impacts the Gault Nature Reserve.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing the Forest for the Deer: Plant Abundance and Diversity at the Gault Nature Reserve During a Spike in White-Tailed Deer

Burnett¹,

Hobbs²,

Ripple

2020

MSURJ

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Background: Deer populations have been rising across North America for decades. At the Gault Nature Reserve in Quebec, half of which is open to the public, the population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has exceeded the region’s carrying capacity, estimated to be 5 deer/km2, since 1996. Given that heavy grazing profoundly impacts forests, the purpose of this paper was to investigate the potential influence of white-tailed deer on plant abundance and diversity at the Gault Nature Reserve. We hypothesized that the abundance of deer, and by extension the effect of deer on vegetation, was negatively correlated with the proximity and frequency of human visitors on pedestrian trails. Our alternative hypothesis was that the effect of deer on vegetation was positively correlated with human disturbance, which is greater on the public side of the reserve.Methods: We recorded the abundance and diversity of vascular plants along 14 transects of increasing distance from pedestrian trails on the public and private sides of the reserve.Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, generalized linear models indicated that overall, plant abundance and diversity declined significantly as the distance from trails increased and that the effect of distance was significantly different on the two sides of the reserve. Pearson correlation tests revealed that there was not a significant correlation between distance and plant abundance and diversity on the public side, although there was a significantly negative correlation between these variables on the private side.Limitations: White-tailed deer were not directly studied, which limited the inferences that could be made about their influence on plant abundance and diversity.Conclusion: The distance from trails was a strong determinant of plant abundance and diversity on the private of the reserve, but not on the public side, possibly because trail edges generally receive more sunlight and because the increased number of trails on the public side may have confounded our results. Although we did not find support for our hypothesis, the influence of trail edges on plant communities was reinforced. Researchers should continue to monitor the influence of white-tailed deer and forest managers should be mindful of edge effects when making decisions.

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Phylogenetic attributes, conservation status and geographical origin of species gained and lost over 50 years in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Cited by 5 publications

References 81 publications

Repeat-based holocentromeres of the woodrushLuzula sylvaticareveal new insights into the evolutionary transition from mono- to holocentricity

Repeat-based holocentromeres of the woodrushLuzula sylvaticareveal new insights into the evolutionary transition from mono- to holocentricity

Ecophylogenetics redux

Seeing the Forest for the Deer: Plant Abundance and Diversity at the Gault Nature Reserve During a Spike in White-Tailed Deer

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