Methodological framework for projecting the potential loss of intraspecific genetic diversity due to global climate change

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Methodology Article

Steffen U Pauls¹  Markus Pfenninger¹  Miklós Bálint² 

[1] Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) by Senckenberg Research Institut & Goethe University, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325, Frankfurt/Main, Germany;Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) by Senckenberg Research Institut & Goethe University, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325, Frankfurt/Main, Germany;Molecular Biology Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Str. Treboniu Laurian 42, 400271, Cluj, Romania;

关键词: Grid Cell;    Land Snail;    Species Distribution Modelling;    Phylogeographic Study;    Species Accumulation Curve;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2148-12-224

 received in 2012-04-11, accepted in 2012-10-30,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWhile research on the impact of global climate change (GCC) on ecosystems and species is flourishing, a fundamental component of biodiversity – molecular variation – has not yet received its due attention in such studies. Here we present a methodological framework for projecting the loss of intraspecific genetic diversity due to GCC.MethodsThe framework consists of multiple steps that combines 1) hierarchical genetic clustering methods to define comparable units of inference, 2) species accumulation curves (SAC) to infer sampling completeness, and 3) species distribution modelling (SDM) to project the genetic diversity loss under GCC. We suggest procedures for existing data sets as well as specifically designed studies. We illustrate the approach with two worked examples from a land snail (Trochulus villosus) and a caddisfly (Smicridea (S.) mucronata).ResultsSampling completeness was diagnosed on the third coarsest haplotype clade level for T. villosus and the second coarsest for S. mucronata. For both species, a substantial species range loss was projected under the chosen climate scenario. However, despite substantial differences in data set quality concerning spatial sampling and sampling depth, no loss of haplotype clades due to GCC was predicted for either species.ConclusionsThe suggested approach presents a feasible method to tap the rich resources of existing phylogeographic data sets and guide the design and analysis of studies explicitly designed to estimate the impact of GCC on a currently still neglected level of biodiversity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Pfenninger et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012