Data from: Environmental gradients shape genetic variation in the desert moss, Syntrichia caninervis Mitt. (Pottiaceae)

The moss Syntrichia caninervis Mitt. is distributed throughout drylands
globally, and often anchors ecologically significant communities known as
biological soil crusts (biocrusts). The species occupies a variety of
dryland habitats with varying levels of drought and temperature stress,
suggesting the potential for ecological specialization within S.
caninervis. Here, we sampled S. caninervis from sites along two elevation
gradients and used restriction site associated DNA sequencing to compare
the relative impacts of environmental factors and geospatial distances on
genetic differentiation in S. caninervis populations. While we found no
evidence of isolation by distance in our data, one environmental variable,
mean annual precipitation (MAP), was found to be a positive predictor of
FST. An ecological association analysis identified 32 SNP alleles that
covary significantly with MAP, 15 of which fall within the exonic regions
of genes with annotations suggesting diverse roles in response to
dehydration stress. Understanding the degree to which genetic variation in
S. caninervis is associated with environmental factors is key to
predicting its potential for persistence in the face of global climate
change, which is predicted to be especially detrimental to desert
organisms already living at their physiological limits.