Unique biodiversity in Arctic marine forests is shaped by diverse recolonization pathways and far northern glacial refugia.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 117(36): 22590-22596, 2020 09 08.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32843343
ABSTRACT
The Arctic is experiencing a rapid shift toward warmer regimes, calling for a need to understand levels of biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate cycles. This study presents genetic data for 109 Arctic marine forest species (seaweeds), which revealed contiguous populations extending from the Bering Sea to the northwest Atlantic, with high levels of genetic diversity in the east Canadian Arctic. One-fifth of the species sampled appeared restricted to Arctic waters. Further supported by hindcasted species distributions during the Last Glacial Maximum, we hypothesize that Arctic coastal systems were recolonized from many geographically disparate refugia leading to enriched diversity levels in the east Canadian Arctic, with important contributions stemming from northerly refugia likely centered along southern Greenland. Our results suggest Arctic marine biomes persisted through cycles of glaciation, leading to unique assemblages in polar waters, rather than being entirely derived from southerly (temperate) areas following glaciation. As such, Arctic marine species are potentially born from selective pressures during Cenozoic global cooling and eventual ice conditions beginning in the Pleistocene. Arctic endemic diversity was likely additionally driven by repeated isolations into globally disparate refugia during glaciation. This study highlights the need to take stock of unique Arctic marine biodiversity. Amplification of warming and loss of perennial ice cover are set to dramatically alter available Arctic coastal habitat, with the potential loss of diversity and decline in ecosystem resilience.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Ecosistema
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Biodiversidad
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Cubierta de Hielo
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Organismos Acuáticos
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Refugio de Fauna
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article