Population differentiation in perch Perca fluviatilis : environmental effects on gene flow?

• Environmental parameters were used to investigate barriers to gene flow and genetic differentiation in the Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) at a small geographical scale in an archipelago system. Significant genetic differentiation was found among locations. Distance per se did not play a major role in the reduction of gene flow. Instead, the largest genetic differences between populations correlated with major changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature at time of spawning. The results show that genetic divergence can arise between populations in habitats thought to be highly connected, and that environmental variables can influence the level of gene flow between populations, including those that are at small spatial scales (tens of kilometres). The importance of a landscape approach when investigating genetic differentiation and defining barriers to gene flow is highlighted.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

barriers to gene flow; landscape genetics; microsatellite DNA; Perca fluviatilis L; population differentiation

Terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecology

Terrestrisk, limnisk och marin ekologi

Zooekologi

Animal Ecology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)