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The DNA of coral reef biodiversity: Predicting and protecting genetic diversity of reef assemblages
journal contribution
posted on 2016-04-27, 00:00 authored by K A Selkoe, O E Gaggiotti, Eric TremlEric Treml, J L K Wren, M K Donovan, R J ToonenConservation of ecological communities requires deepening our understanding of genetic diversity patterns and drivers at community-wide scales. Here, we use seascape genetic analysis of a diversity metric, allelic richness (AR), for 47 reef species sampled across 13 Hawaiian Islands to empirically demonstrate that large reefs high in coral cover harbour the greatest genetic diversity on average. We found that a species's life history (e.g. depth range and herbivory) mediates response of genetic diversity to seascape drivers in logical ways. Furthermore, a metric of combined multi-species AR showed strong coupling to species richness and habitat area, quality and stability that few species showed individually. We hypothesize that macro-ecological forces and species interactions, by mediating species turnover and occupancy (and thus a site's mean effective population size), influence the aggregate genetic diversity of a site, potentially allowing it to behave as an apparent emergent trait that is shaped by the dominant seascape drivers. The results highlight inherent feedbacks between ecology and genetics, raise concern that genetic resilience of entire reef communities is compromised by factors that reduce coral cover or available habitat, including thermal stress, and provide a foundation for new strategies for monitoring and preserving biodiversity of entire reef ecosystems.
History
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological SciencesVolume
283Issue
1829Article number
ARTN 20160354Publisher
ROYAL SOCLocation
EnglandPublisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
0962-8452eISSN
1471-2954Language
EnglishPublication classification
C Journal article; C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2016, The AuthorsUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiologyEcologyEvolutionary BiologyLife Sciences & Biomedicine - Other TopicsEnvironmental Sciences & Ecologypopulation geneticsseascape geneticslandscape geneticsresiliencecoral reefsecosystem-based managementSEA-LEVEL CHANGEMARINE CONSERVATIONSPECIES-DIVERSITYPOPULATIONCOMMUNITYPATTERNSCONSEQUENCESMACROECOLOGYARCHIPELAGORICHNESSCONSERVATIONDRIVERSFISHESHawai‘i Reef Connectivity ConsortiumAnimalsAnthozoaBiodiversityDNAGenetic VariationHawaiiModels, Genetic
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