Living at the dry limits: ecological genetics of Tillandsia landbeckii lomas in the Chilean Atacama Desert

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Title:Main Title: Living at the dry limits: ecological genetics of Tillandsia landbeckii lomas in the Chilean Atacama Desert
Description:Abstract: The northern Chilean Atacama Desert is among those regions on Earth where life exists at its dry limits. There is almost zero rainfall in its core zone, and the only source of water is a spatio-temporally complex fog system along the Pacific coast, which is reaching far into the hyperarid mainland. Hardly any vascular plants grow in these areas, and, thus, it is intriguing to be faced with a vegetation-type build-up by one single and highly specialized bromeliad species, Tillandsia landbeckii Phil., forming regular linear structures in a sloped landscape. We studied the genetic make-up of a population system extending an area of approximately 1500 km2 and demonstrated a fine-scale correlation of genetic diversity with spatial population structure and following an elevational gradient of approximately 150 m. Increase in genetic diversity is correlated with increased fitness as measured by flowering frequency, and evidence is provided that outbreeding is linked with a large-distance flying pollinator feeding occasionally as generalist on its flowers, but not using the plant as source for larvae feeding. Our data demonstrate that establishment of linear vegetation structure is in principle a process driven by clonal growth and propagation of ramets over short distances. However, optimal conditions (slope, elevation, fog occurrence) for linear growth pattern formation also increase sexual plant reproductive fitness, thus providing the reservoir for newly combined genetic variation and counteracting genetic uniformity. Our study highlights the Tillandsia vegetation, also called Tillandsia lomas, as unique and genetically diverse system, which is highly threatened by global climate change and disturbance of the coastal fog system.
Identifier:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-019-01623-0 (DOI)
Responsible Party
Creators:Marcus Koch (Author), Dorothea Kleinpeter (Author), Erik Auer (Author), Alexander Siegmund (Author), Camilo del Río (Author), Pablo Osses (Author), Juan-Luis García (Author), Maria Marzol (Author), Georg Zizka (Author), Christiane Kiefer (Author)
Publisher:Plant Systematics and Evolution
Publication Year:2019
Topic
CRC1211 Topic:Biology
Related Subproject:B1
Subject:Keyword: Ecology of Plants
Geogr. Information Topic:Environment
File Details
Filename:Koch_et_al_2019.pdf
Data Type:Text - publication
File Size:2 MB
Date:Accepted: 04.11.2019
Mime Type:application/pdf
Data Format:PDF
Language:English
Status:Completed
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Download Permission:Free
General Access and Use Conditions:According to the CRC1211DB data policy agreement.
Access Limitations:According to the CRC1211DB data policy agreement.
Licence:[CRC1211DB] Data policy agreement
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Publication Status:Published
Review Status:Peer reviewed
Publication Type:Article
Article Type:Journal
Source:Springer
Volume:305
Number of Pages:13 (1041 - 1053)
Metadata Details
Metadata Creator:Johanna Möbus
Metadata Created:24.08.2023
Metadata Last Updated:24.08.2023
Subproject:B1
Funding Phase:2
Metadata Language:English
Metadata Version:V50
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