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. 2023 Dec 12:14:1299128.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1299128. eCollection 2023.

Contrasting patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence of two sympatric congeners, Phragmites australis and P. hirsuta, in heterogeneous habitats

Tian Qiu #  1   2 , Zhiyuan Liu #  3 , Haiyan Li  2 , Ji Yang  4 , Bao Liu  5 , Yunfei Yang  2
Affiliations

Contrasting patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence of two sympatric congeners, Phragmites australis and P. hirsuta, in heterogeneous habitats

Tian Qiu et al. Front Plant Sci. .

Abstract

Habitat heterogeneity leads to genome-wide differentiation and morphological and ecological differentiation, which will progress along the speciation continuum, eventually leading to speciation. Phragmites hirsuta and Phragmites australis are sympatric congeners that coexist in saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) and sandy soil (SS) habitats of the Songnen Meadow. The results provided genetic evidence for two separate species of reeds. Genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure supported the specialist-generalist variation hypothesis (SGVH) in these two sympatric reed species, suggesting that P. australis is a generalist and P. hirsuta is a habitat specialist. When we compared these different species with respect to phenotypic and genetic variation patterns in different habitats, we found that the phenotypic differentiation of P. australis between the two habitats was higher than that of P. hirsuta. Multiple subtle differences in morphology, genetic background, and habitat use collectively contribute to ecological success for similar congeners. This study provided evidence of the two reed congeners, which should contribute to their success in harsh environments.

Keywords: Phragmites australis; Phragmites hirsuta; coexistence; generalist; habitat; heterogeneity; specialist.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pictures of P. australis (A) and P. hirsuta (B); two habitats in the study area at the Pasture Ecology Research Station of Northeast Normal University. saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) (C) and sandy soil (SS) (D).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sampling locations of Phragmites australis and Phragmites hirsuta in two habitats. Different habitats are indicated by distinct symbols (triangle, saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS); trapezoid, sandy soil (SS); filled symbols indicate P. hirsuta).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Principal coordinate diagram for soil characteristics of saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) (1) and sandy soil (SS) (2). soil characteristics include all 14 parameters. The two axes represent 41.59% (x-axis) and 22.06% (y-axis) of the explained variance.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Principal coordinate diagram for phenotypic traits of P. australis and P. hirsuta individuals in saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) (A) and sandy soil (SS) (B). All 18 traits were included. “1” in black and “2” in red denote P. australis. “3” in pink and “4” in green denote P. hirsuta. The two axes represented 35.77% (x-axis) and 16.38% (y-axis) of the explained variance in (A) and 46.39% (x-axis) and 16.71% (y-axis) in (B).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Dendrogram of 95 clones of Phragmites australis and Phragmites hirsuta in the two habitats at small scales in the Songnen Steppe as well as outgroups constructed by UPGMA. Note: L indicates Pragmites australis and M indicates Phragmites hirsuta. N indicates Pragmites australis in Nanhu Park in Changchun. R indicates Phragmites japonicus. The numbers “3” and “4” before “L” or “M” represent habitats of saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) and sandy soil (SS), respectively.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Principal coordinate analysis (PCA) based on AFLP banding patterns showing the relationships among 95 clones of Phragmites australis, Phragmites hirsuta and outgroups. (L indicates Pragmites australis and M indicates Phragmites hirsuta. N indicates Pragmites australis in Nanhu Park in Changchun. R indicates Phragmites japonicus. SAS and SS represent saline-alkaline meadow soil and sandy soil habitat, respectively.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Genetic divergence in the two types of reeds illustrated by STRUCTURE based on AFLPs. Each vertical line represents an individual, and each color represents a cluster in the histograms of STRUCTURE with K=4. Populations were separated by black bars and identified at the bottom of the histogram, with 1, 2, and 3 representing Phragmites australis populations in saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS), 4, 5, and 6 representing populations in sandy soil (SS), 7, 8, and 9 representing Phragmites hirsuta populations in SAS, 10, 11, and 12 representing those in SS, 13 representing P. australis populations in Nanhu Park of Changchun and 14 representing Phragmites japonicus.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Projection of traits and environmental variables in the RDA, with green and yellow dots representing saline-alkaline meadow soil (SAS) and sandy soil (SS) individuals of Phragmites australis (A) and Phragmites hirsuta (B), respectively.
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