Two colonisation stages generate two different patterns of genetic diversity within native and invasive ranges of Ulex europaeus

Genetic diversity and the way a species is introduced influence the capacity of populations of invasive species to persist in, and adapt to, their new environment. The diversity of introduced populations affects their evolutionary potential, which is particularly important for species that have invaded a wide range of habitats and climates, such as European gorse, Ulex europaeus. This species originated in the Iberian peninsula and colonised Europe in the Neolithic; over the course of the last two centuries it was introduced to, and has become invasive in, other continents. We characterised neutral genetic diversity and its structure in the native range and in invaded regions. By coupling these results with historical data we have identified the way in which gorse populations were introduced and the consequences of introduction history on genetic diversity. Our study is based on the genotyping of individuals from 18 populations at six microsatellite loci. As Ulex europaeus is an allohex...遗传多样性（genetic diversity）与物种的引入路径，共同决定了入侵物种（invasive species）种群在新生境中存续并适应环境的能力。引入种群的遗传多样性水平会影响其进化潜能（evolutionary potential），这对于已广泛入侵多样生境（habitat）与气候区域的物种而言尤为关键，例如荆豆（Ulex europaeus）。该物种起源于伊比利亚半岛，于新石器时代拓殖至欧洲；近两个世纪以来，它被引入其他大陆并成为入侵物种。我们对该物种原生分布区（native range）与入侵区域（invaded regions）的中性遗传多样性（neutral genetic diversity）及其群体遗传结构进行了表征分析。结合上述结果与历史资料，我们明确了荆豆种群的引入路径，以及引入历史对其遗传多样性造成的影响。本研究基于对18个种群的个体在6个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）上的基因分型（genotyping）展开，由于荆豆（Ulex europaeus）是异源六倍体（allohexaploid）……