Channel network structure determines genetic connectivity of landward-seaward Avicennia marina populations in a tropical bay.

ABSTRACT: Mangrove ecosystems along the East African coast are often characterized by a disjunct zonation pattern of seaward and landward Avicennia marina trees. This disjunct zonation may be maintained through different positions in the tidal frame, yielding different dispersal settings. The spatial configuration of the landscape and coastal processes such as tides and waves is expected to largely influence the extent of propagule transport and subsequent regeneration. We hypothesized that landward sites would keep a stronger genetic structure over short distances in comparison with enhanced gene flow among regularly flooded seaward fringes. We tested this hypothesis from densely vegetated A. marina transects of a well-documented mangrove system (Gazi Bay, Kenya) and estimated local g

SUBMITTER: Triest L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7663977 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature