Ecology and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"Bacterial Community Structure in Soils With Fire-Deposited Charcoal Under Rotational Shifting Cultivation of Upland Rice in Northern Thailand","authors":"Noppol Arunrat,&nbsp;Toungporn Uttarotai,&nbsp;Praeploy Kongsurakan,&nbsp;Sukanya Sereenonchai,&nbsp;Ryusuke Hatano","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70851","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70851","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rotational shifting cultivation (RSC) is a traditional agricultural practice in mountainous areas that uses fire to clear land after cutting vegetation for cultivation. However, few studies have assessed the effect of fire-deposited charcoal on the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities, and none have been conducted in Thailand. Therefore, this study was conducted 1 year after a fire in an abandoned 12-year RSC in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Charcoal samples were collected from the surface litter layer, while charcoal-soil mixtures were taken from the surface soil (0–2 cm). Soil samples from 2 to 7 cm captured the charcoal-soluble layer, and samples from 7 to 15 cm represented soil without charcoal incorporation. The results revealed that charcoal led to higher pH and electrical conductivity in the charcoal layer, with notable differences in soil texture across layers, including the highest sand and silt content in the charcoal-mixed soil layer (0–2 cm). Soil organic matter and total nitrogen were significantly higher in the charcoal-mixed layer compared to deeper layers, indicating improved nutrient retention due to charcoal presence. Enhanced microbial diversity was observed in the charcoal and charcoal-mixed soil layers, with Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetota dominating across all soil samples. The bacterial genus <i>Ilumatobacter</i> exhibited significant changes in abundance in the charcoal layer. Additionally, <i>Pseudolabrys</i> was more abundant in charcoal-leached soil, while JG30a-KF-32 showed greater abundance in soil without charcoal. Shifts in Proteobacteria and Planctomycetota abundance were evident in the charcoal leaching and non-charcoal layers. Network analysis indicated more complex bacterial interactions in the charcoal-mixed soil layer, with reduced network complexity observed in the charcoal leaching layer and the layer without charcoal. These findings imply that charcoal provides a favorable environment for diverse and interactive bacterial communities, potentially benefiting soil health and fertility recovery in RSC fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70851","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cleaning Interactions Between Crows and Sika Deer: Implications for Tick-Borne Disease Management","authors":"Kanzi M. Tomita,&nbsp;Hiroyuki Matsuyama","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70845","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70845","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cleaning interactions between mammals and birds have been widely observed worldwide. Here, we report cleaning interactions between sika deer and crows in Japan, based on a field observations using camera traps and online research. Online research was performed on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and personal blogs. We finally collected 27 cases of cleaning associations between sika deer and crows. Crows associated with male more than female deer and mainly pecked their heads or necks, suggesting that crows remove Ixodid ticks from the deer's surface. Given that ticks on sika deer are vectors of several zoonotic pathogens such as <i>Rickettsia</i> and <i>Borrelia</i> spp., further studies should be conducted to examine the roles of crows as biocontrol agents of ticks and tick-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70845","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wild Bee Assemblages and Pollination Networks of Managed Emergent Wetlands in Central New York, USA","authors":"Molly M. Jacobson,&nbsp;Michael L. Schummer,&nbsp;Melissa K. Fierke,&nbsp;Paige R. Chesshire,&nbsp;Donald J. Leopold","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70847","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70847","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To effectively protect wild bee pollinators and the services they provide, it is critical to gather data on their distributions, life histories, and interactions with plants among a diversity of habitat types. Wetlands are underrepresented in bee surveys, despite having a great diversity of flowering plants and known importance to hundreds of species of wildlife. In this 2-year survey of a restored wetland complex in Central New York, over 9000 bees were collected, representing ≥ 109 species in 25 genera. We recorded 337 unique plant–pollinator associations, including those previously undocumented for the wetland obligate masked bee, <i>Hylaeus nelumbonis</i> (Robertson). Floral resources and bee genera were most diverse in August, and network analyses indicated September networks were the most connected, nested, and least modular. Floral resources also shifted towards being more native over the course of the season. Results show that emergent wetlands support diverse guilds of pollinators in the latter half of the growing season, and that wetland management can produce diverse conditions conducive to wild bee habitat.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70847","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Seascape Genomics Perspective on Restrictive Genetic Connectivity Overcoming Signals of Local Adaptations in the Green Abalone (Haliotis fulgens) of the California Current System","authors":"Jorge Alberto Mares-Mayagoitia,&nbsp;Paulina Mejía-Ruíz,&nbsp;Fabiola Lafarga-De la Cruz,&nbsp;Fiorenza Micheli,&nbsp;Pedro Cruz-Hernández,&nbsp;Juan A. De-Anda-Montañez,&nbsp;John Hyde,&nbsp;Norma Y. Hernández-Saavedra,&nbsp;Vladimir S. De Jesús-Bonilla,&nbsp;Carmen E. Vargas-Peralta,&nbsp;Ana L. Flores-Morales,&nbsp;Alejandro F. Pares-Sierra,&nbsp;Fausto Valenzuela-Quiñonez","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70913","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70913","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seascape genomics facilitates integrative research on eco-evolutionary forces, such as migration and natural selection, which shape genomic connectivity and structure and provide critical insights for conservation strategies. The green abalone (<i>Haliotis fulgens</i>) is distributed from California, United States, to Baja California Sur, Mexico, and exposed to a latitudinal environmental gradient in the California Current System. This study aimed to investigate genomic population structure and potential local adaptations of green abalone across its distribution. The green abalone exhibits a distinctive neutral genetic structuring influenced by geographic distance and marine currents rather than local adaptations. Analyses using 9100 neutral and 17 outlier SNPs revealed three distinct populations: the North group (California to Ensenada, Baja California), a population on Guadalupe Island, and the South group (coastal locations of the Baja California peninsula). The research underscores the significance of life history traits and larval dispersal in shaping genetic connectivity. Connectivity appears to be influenced by geographic distance on neutral genetic structure, overshadowing natural selection's role. Furthermore, no genome–environment associations to sea surface temperature values were found. Future research should integrate genetic data with ocean circulation modeling to better understand the mechanisms and outcomes of larval dispersal and genetic connectivity. This study emphasizes the importance of both local and binational (USA-Mexico) conservation efforts, suggesting the development of SNP marker panels for traceability and management. Collaborative strategies could serve as models for binational conservation initiatives in other ecoregions, promoting sustainable management and conservation of green abalone populations and other exploited species across national borders.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70913","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional Traits and Phylogenetic Effects Drive Germination of Lemur-Passed Seeds","authors":"Camille M. M. DeSisto,&nbsp;Zico Zandry,&nbsp;Telesy Feno,&nbsp;Borna Zareiesafandabadi,&nbsp;Jean Randrianasy,&nbsp;Jean Tiamanana,&nbsp;Dominique Randrianasolo,&nbsp;Manadina Rasolofo,&nbsp;George Raveloson,&nbsp;Franclin Zerimanana,&nbsp;Onja Razafindratsima,&nbsp;James P. Herrera,&nbsp;John R. Poulsen","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70881","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70881","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal drives ecological functioning across tropical forests. The biological mechanisms affecting seed dispersal outcomes, as well as the role of specific functional traits in plants and their dispersers, is still not well understood. To address this gap, we conducted germination experiments in eight species of captive and two species of wild lemurs, which disperse different plant species. We (1) quantified the effects of pulp removal, seed priming, and feces effects (nutrient/microbial fertilization) through gut passage as mechanisms, (2) determined the effect of frugivore species on germination, and (3) assessed how individual plant and animal traits affected two seed germination outcomes: success rates and time-to-germination. Accounting for phylogenetic non-independence of plants and estimating phylogenetic signal, we evaluated the effects of lemur gut passage and functional traits in a Bayesian framework. Seed priming during gut passage was the primary mechanism through which lemurs improved germination rates and decreased time-to-germination. Gut passage influenced the effect of seed length on germination probability but not time-to germination. Germination outcomes varied by disperser species and seed size. Furthermore, seeds passed by male lemurs were 40% more likely to germinate than those passed by female lemurs. Germination probability was more similar for closely related plant species compared to those that were more distantly related, while the plant phylogenetic effects on time-to-germination were weaker. Moreover, germination depended on experimental setting; for example, lemur gut passage decreased time-to-germination in captive, but not wild settings. Our results highlight the complexity of biological mechanisms determining seed dispersal outcomes; ecological and evolutionary factors were important drivers of germination. Considering a diversity of potential effects is critical for advancing a mechanistic understanding of species interactions and their outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70881","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thiacloprid Exposure Induces Oxidative Stress, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Apoptosis in the Liver of Mauremys reevesii","authors":"Shuqin Lin,&nbsp;Yunjuan Xiao,&nbsp;Siyu Li,&nbsp;Liyan Tang,&nbsp;Haitao Shi,&nbsp;Meiling Hong,&nbsp;Li Ding","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70936","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70936","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Among neonicotinoid insecticides, thiacloprid (THI) is extensively utilized in agricultural practices, which poses a potential toxicity risk to aquatic fauna. Turtles, integral to aquatic ecosystems, have not yet been comprehensively assessed for their vulnerability to THI exposure. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of THI on oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and apoptosis in aquatic turtles. We categorized <i>Mauremys reevesii</i> into three groups: a control group and two experimental groups exposed to environmentally relevant (4.5 μg/mL) and high (15 mg/mL) concentrations of THI, respectively. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes significantly associated with the elimination of superoxide radicals, organelle inner membrane functions, peroxiredoxin activity, and apoptotic pathways were abundantly expressed in the high-concentration THI group. Notably, exposure to high concentrations of THI led to a marked increase in glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, whereas catalase (CAT) activity declined and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels rose, indicating the presence of oxidative stress. Moreover, THI upregulated the expression of the ER stress marker GRP78. Simultaneously, the mRNA levels of pivotal unfolded protein response genes, including AFT6, AFT4, IRE1α, CHOP, XBP1, and eIF2α, were significantly elevated in response to THI exposure. Furthermore, high concentrations of THI significantly activated the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 enzymes in the liver tissue. The expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 was downregulated, whereas the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and caspase-3 were upregulated, leading to an increase in hepatic apoptotic cells following THI exposure. Collectively, our study indicates that THI can induce hepatic damage in turtles through the promotion of oxidative stress, ERS, and apoptosis. These findings gain a deeper understanding of the toxic effects of THI on keystone species in aquatic ecosystems, thereby improving our overall understanding of their environmental impacts.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70936","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shelter Distribution and Type Affect Space Use of a Desert Reptile","authors":"Roy C. Averill-Murray,&nbsp;J. Daren Riedle","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70858","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Animal home ranges derive from the distribution of resources across the landscape. For example, home ranges of most tortoise species in the United States revolve around networks of burrows. However, human disturbances that damage shelters can decrease habitat suitability, individual survival, and population persistence. We investigated effects of burrow distribution and availability on space use of the Sonoran Desert Tortoise <i>Gopherus morafkai</i> at two populations with different habitat structures to determine the extent to which habitat capacity is defined by factors subject to management, such as vegetation, relative to more permanent features such as rock shelters. We also demonstrated the superiority of autocorrelated kernel density estimation, illustrating flawed conclusions that could arise from the use of traditional home-range estimators. Home-range size increased with the number of available burrows at both sites. At the Florence Military Reservation (FMR), with numerous caliche caves and few rock burrows, larger home ranges effectively compensated for one third the burrow density as that of Sugarloaf Mountain, which predominantly featured rock burrows. Female tortoises had smaller home ranges than males despite having similar burrow densities. Females revisited individual burrows more often than males at Sugarloaf, which may relate to female use of preferred nesting sites; however, lower availability led males to revisit burrows at similar rates as females at FMR. Pairs of tortoises at FMR shared 72% more burrows than pairs at Sugarloaf, and pairs of females shared 33% fewer burrows than female–male pairs across both sites. Space and burrow use at FMR and Sugarloaf are consistent with predictions of how animals choose patches for their home ranges in ways that are optimal with respect to spatially distributed resources. Populations largely reliant on pallets or soil burrows may be more subject to declines due to anthropogenic impacts from grazing or off-highway vehicle use or due to increasing temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70858","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143110659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rising Temperatures Advance Start and End of the Breeding Season of an Alpine Bird","authors":"Carole A. Niffenegger,&nbsp;Sabine M. Hille,&nbsp;Christian Schano,&nbsp;Fränzi Korner-Nievergelt","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70897","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70897","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Many bird species have advanced the start of the breeding season as a response to climate change. The duration of the breeding season and how it is affected by climate change are far less studied but are important for the re-nesting potential. Re-nesting includes both the replacement of a failed breeding attempt or breeding successfully multiple times within one season and can therefore impact fitness. Some species profit from an earlier start of breeding through a higher re-nesting potential, whereas other species also advance the end of breeding season as conditions for breeding deteriorate. Here, we explored how temperature, precipitation, and snow conditions influence the start, end, and duration of the breeding season of a cold-adapted high-elevation songbird. We fitted generalized additive models with more than 12,000 citizen science observations of white-winged snowfinches (<i>Montifringilla nivalis</i>) to estimate breeding phenology between 2006 and 2021. Our results indicate that higher prebreeding temperatures and reduced April precipitation were associated with an earlier start of breeding. However, later during the breeding season higher temperatures shortened the breeding season through an earlier end of the breeding season. Despite adjusting the timing of reproduction to prevailing environmental conditions, average temperatures during the breeding season increased over the 16-year study period. Therefore, snowfinches need to move to higher elevations in order to track the thermal conditions. This study highlights the complex relationship between phenology and environmental conditions and illustrates how much the breeding conditions are currently changing for high-elevation species.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70897","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143110655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Safe Periods and Safe Activities: Two Phenological Responses to Mortality","authors":"Théo Constant,&nbsp;F. Stephen Dobson,&nbsp;Sylvain Giroud,&nbsp;Caroline Habold","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70718","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Phenology is often thought to evolve mainly in response to food availability, yet recent studies have focused on predation. Predation may explain apparent mismatches between phenology and resources. One type of phenological response to predation involves shifting phenology from a period of high to low predation (i.e., a safe-period strategy). This strategy presupposes variation in predation over time due to environmental factors such as the number or diversity of predators. Predation varies not only over time but also among different activities like reproduction and dormancy. Alternative activities involve alternative behavioral or physiological states, and different locations where they take place influencing predation risk. Phenological responses to predation may involve shifting from a high risk activity to a safer one, resulting in increased survival (i.e., a «safe-activity» strategy). This strategy may theoretically evolve under environmental conditions associated with constant predation over time, but assumes variation in predation among activities. Safe-period and safe-activity strategies are not mutually exclusive, but assume different conditions for their evolution. On the basis of a literature review, our goal was to: (1) propose a classification of phenological responses to predation according to their evolutionary context, including mean population responses and interindividual differences (degree of synchrony); (2) to show how these two strategies may explain the lack of support for the idea that phenology responds primarily to food availability; and (3) to propose several approaches for testing the influence of predation on phenology. Our review highlights the relevance of studying phenology on multiple scales, thereby integrating several interspecific interactions (communities scales) and multiple activities (annual scale), and studying synchronicity and the pace-of-life (inter-individual scale).</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70718","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143110656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Differentiation of Abies alba Outside Its Main Range Under Warm Meso- and Sub-Mediterranean Conditions in Italy and Switzerland","authors":"Sevil Coşgun,&nbsp;Jérémy Gauthier,&nbsp;Giuliano Bonanomi,&nbsp;Gabriele Carraro,&nbsp;Paolo Cherubini,&nbsp;Marco Conedera,&nbsp;Erika Gobet,&nbsp;Maria-Chiara Manetti,&nbsp;Gianluigi Mazza,&nbsp;Christoph Schwörer,&nbsp;Christoph Sperisen,&nbsp;Nadir Alvarez,&nbsp;Felix Gugerli,&nbsp;Willy Tinner","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70909","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ece3.70909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Abies alba</i> is an important European tree species currently mostly found at cool and humid sites in the montane zone. In the past, it grew under markedly warmer and drier climates during the Eemian and mid-Holocene, and cryptic Mediterranean populations confirm the species' capacity to grow under warm, summer-dry conditions. However, it is unknown if warm-loving Mediterranean occurrences are related to specific genetic properties (e.g., subspecies or ecotypes). Investigating the genetics of cryptic warm-loving populations is crucial for a better understanding of past and future population dynamics of <i>A. alba</i>. We genotyped 478 <i>A. alba</i> samples at 174 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), covering a broad latitudinal range from Southern Italy to Switzerland while accounting for local altitudinal gradients, and combined these newly introduced genotypes with those of other European <i>Abies</i> populations from the literature. Population genetic structure analyses grouped the warm-loving meso- and sub-Mediterranean populations into the same genetic cluster as the mountain populations of each region. The occurrence of three genetic clusters from Northern to Southern Italy is in line with the glacial refugia history. The inferred evolutionary and demographic history suggests a northward expansion of <i>A. alba</i> after glaciation, as well as a trans-Adriatic gene flow between Balkan and Southern Italian populations. Collectively, the combined genotypic data from individuals across the species' range demonstrate that cryptic Mediterranean populations of <i>A. alba</i> align with the local and large-scale genetic structure of populations from its main range, suggesting that the species is able to thrive in a warmer and drier environmental range than hitherto anticipated. This finding implies that it is unneeded to postulate extinct subspecies or ecotypes to explain the occurrence of meso- and sub-Mediterranean Eemian or mid-Holocene silver fir forests, with important implications for future <i>A. alba</i> population dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11787904/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143078818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}