Gene flow in a pioneer plant metapopulation (Myricaria germanica) at the catchment scale in a fragmented alpine river system.

ABSTRACT: River alterations for natural hazard mitigation and land reclamation result in habitat decline and fragmentation for riparian plant species. Extreme events such as floods are responsible for additional local species loss or population decline. Tributaries might provide refugia and subsequent source populations for the colonization of downstream sites in connected riverine networks with metapopulations of plant species. In this study, we analyzed the metapopulation structure of the endangered riparian shrub species Myricaria germanica along the river Isel, Austria, which is part of the Natura 2000 network, and its tributaries. The use of 22 microsatellite markers allowed us to assess the role of tributaries and single populations as well as gene flow up- and downstream. The analysis of 1307

SUBMITTER: Fink S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9122923 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature