J Syst Evol ›› 2012, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (4): 325-333.DOI: 10.1111/j.1759-6831.2012.00203.x

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Chloroplast phylogeography of a temperate tree Pteroceltis tatarinowii (Ulmaceae) in China

1Xiao-Hong LI 1,2Jian-Wen SHAO 1Chang LU 1,3Xiao-Ping ZHANG* 4Ying-Xiong QIU*   

  1. 1(College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China)
    2(The Key Laboratory of Conservation and Employment of Biological Resources of Anhui, Wuhu 241000, China)
    3(The Key Laboratory of Biotic Environment and Ecological Safety in Anhui Province, Wuhu 241000, China)
    4(Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, and Laboratory of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China)
  • Received:2012-01-09 Published:2012-07-17

Abstract: Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim. (Ulmaceae), one of the most widespread temperate canopy trees in mainland China, is the sole representative of the genus Pteroceltis. To illuminate the biogeographic and demographic history of this temperate tree species, we carried out a survey of chloroplast DNA sequence variation (trnS-trnG and psbA-trnH) within and among 28 populations (284 individuals in total) representing most of the distributional range of the species. Based on a total of 13 haplotypes identified, P. tatarinowii was found to harbor surprisingly high levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity (hT= 0.71; πT= 2.83 × 10−3), possibly associated with its long evolutionary history and wide-scale geographical distribution. Significant chloroplast DNA population subdivision was detected (GST= 0.898; NST= 0.938), suggesting low levels of recurrent gene flow through seeds among populations and significant phylogeographical structure (NST > GST, P < 0.05). The ancestral haplotypes show clear-cut geographical distribution, and most regions possess a unique set of haplotypes, suggesting multiple potential refugia of the species occurring in montane areas of South China. The haplotype mismatch distributions analysis indicates that populations from North China underwent a spatial northward expansion, which might reflect one of the repeated Pleistocene south-to-north shifts of temperate deciduous forest in North China following cold periods.

Key words: chloroplast DNA, phylogeography, Pteroceltis tatarinowii, range expansion, refugia, temperate deciduous forest.