Abstract Detail

Ecology

Liu, Jiajia [1], Liu, Juan [2], Burgess, Kevin [3], Ge, Xuejun [4].

Estimates of phylogenetic diversity based on DNA barcoding vary across an elevational gradient in Southern China.

Numerous metrics of phylogenetic diversity have been used to elucidate ecological, environmental and evolutionary processes associated with plant community composition and assemblage. Although DNA barcoding is becoming widely incorporated into the molecular toolbox for community phylogenetic reconstruction such as Bayesian inference, few studies evaluate how the evolutionary rate of various barcodes, and their combinations, can influence estimates of phylogenetic diversity across varying environmental conditions. Using two tropical forest plots located at high and low elevations in Guangdong, China, we examine four core DNA barcodes (rbcL, matK, ITS and ITS2), phylogenetic tree reconstruction method and their potential interactions with elevation, as a proxy for species composition, using linear mixed-effects models for a series of community phylogenetic diversity estimates (PD, PAE, IAC, MPD, MPDed, MNTD, MNTDed). For the majority of the phylogenetic diversity metrics considered, rbcL, matK, ITS and a family-level backbone represented the most parsimonious combination. In addition, there was a significant interaction between elevation and each of these sources of variation: top-rank models attributed > 68% of this source of variation except for one of the seven phylogenetic diversity estimates evaluated in this study. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating a diverse community composition across multiple habitats to infer the variation of phylogenetic structure caused by ecological processes and evolutionary dynamics. Future studies should consider the type of DNA barcodes, phylogenetic reconstruction methods and elevation gradients as potential sources of variation.

1 - South China Botanical Garden, CAS, 723 Xingke Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510650, CN
2 - Jiangxi Agriculture University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, Nanchang, CN
3 - Columbus State University, Biology, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, GA, 31907, United States
4 - South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 723 Xingke Rd., Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China

Keywords:
Bayesian tree
diversity estimates
phylogenetic diversity
tropical forest.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Ecology
Location: Grand Ballroom - Exhibit Hall/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Monday, July 23rd, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PEC002
Abstract ID:91
Candidate for Awards:None