Biogeography of larches in eastern Siberia – using single nucleotide polymorphisms derived by genotyping by sequencing

Abstract

The present distribution of Siberian boreal forests that are dominated by larches (Larix spp.) is influenced, to an unknown extent, by glacial history. Knowing the past treeline dynamics can improve our understanding of future treeline shifts under changing climate. Here, we study patterns in the genetic variability of Siberian Larix to help unravel biogeographic migration routes since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

We infer the spatial distribution and the postglacial demographic history of Larix using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived through genotyping by sequencing (GBS) from 130 individuals sampled across eastern Siberia.

Our analysis gives statistical support for two or three clusters, spanning from western to eastern Siberia. These clusters reveal a genetic structure influenced by isolation resulting from geographical distance, barriers imposed by geographic features, and distinct glacial histories. Assuming three clusters, our demographic inference indicates that the common ancestor of the current Larix populations existed in northeast Siberia well before the LGM. This suggests that Larix persisted in the northern region throughout previous glacials.

Our genetic studies suggest that Larix likely survived the cold LGM in northern refugia, enabling a fast colonization of Siberia. Instead of complete repopulation from southern areas postglacially, the northernmost Larix expansion during the Holocene seems to have benefitted from refugial populations ahead of the treeline. Present-day migration is expected to be slow initially, due to the absence of current refugial populations in the far north, in contrast to the early-Holocene situation.