Contrasting demographic patterns of Ceriops tagal (Rhizophoraceae) populations in the South China Sea

Pei Chun Liao, Shih Ying Hwang, Shong Huang, Yu Chung Chiang*, Jenn Che Wang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Demographic history and dispersal ability are significant factors in determining the genetic composition of a population. In this study, we examined the phylogeographic patterns of Ceriops tagal from the Hainan Island and the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea, where there are abundant mangrove species. Nucleotide variations in two chloroplast DNA spacers were compared with trace Ceriops propagule dispersal routes and demographic history. An analysis of Templeton, Crandall and Sing's (TCS) parsimonious networks and population demographics suggests that the Ceriops population gradually expanded from the northern parts of the South China Sea to the south-western populations in the Gulf of Thailand. Such phylogeographic inferences reflect a postglacial southward shift in the mangrove genetic diversity centre and a connection between the demographic dynamics and the coastal range expansion caused by the sea-level rise in the Pleistocene. Therefore, the phylogeographic pattern and historical demography of mangrove species were affected by glaciations during the Pleistocene such as temperate biota.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)523-532
Number of pages10
JournalAustralian Journal of Botany
Volume59
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Plant Science

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