Data from: Genomic diversity of a nectar yeast clusters into metabolically, but not geographically, distinct lineages

Both dispersal limitation and environmental sorting can affect genetic
variation in populations, but their contribution remains unclear,
particularly in microbes. We sought to determine the contribution of
geographic distance (as a proxy for dispersal limitation) and phenotypic
traits (as a proxy for environmental sorting), including morphology,
metabolic ability, and interspecific competitiveness, to the genotypic
diversity in a nectar yeast species, Metschnikowia reukaufii. To measure
genotypic diversity, we sequenced the genomes of 102 strains of M.
reukaufii isolated from the floral nectar of hummingbird-pollinated shrub,
Mimulus aurantiacus, along a 200-km coastline in California. Intraspecific
genetic variation showed no detectable relationship with geographic
distance, but could be grouped into three distinct lineages that
correlated with metabolic ability and interspecific competitiveness.
Despite ample evidence for strong competitive interactions within and
among nectar yeasts, a full spectrum of the genotypic and phenotypic
diversity observed across the 200-km coastline was represented even at a
scale as small as 200 m. Furthermore, more competitive strains were not
necessarily more abundant. These results suggest that dispersal limitation
and environmental sorting might not fully explain intraspecific diversity
in this microbe and highlight the need to also consider other ecological
factors such as trade-offs, source-sink dynamics, and niche modification.