Comparative analysis of spatial genetic structures in sympatric populations of two riparian plants,<i>Saxifraga acerifolia</i>and<i>Saxifraga fortunei</i>

Premise The genetic structure between plant populations is facilitated by the spatial population arrangement and limited dispersal of seed pollen. Saxifraga acerifolia, a local endemic species in Japan, habitat specialist that confined to waterfalls riparian environments. Its sister species, fortunei, generalist widely distributed along riverbanks. Here, we examined sympatric two test whether differences preference colonization process influenced regional structures. Methods To reveal structures, chloroplast microsatellite variations genome-wide nucleotide polymorphisms obtained genotyping sequencing. We also estimated gene flow among within performed landscape analyses evaluate pollen movement extent isolation related geographic distance and/or differences. Results found strong S. even on small scale (<1 km part); each different waterfall one river system had completely predominant haplotype. By contrast, fortunei showed no clear differentiation. Conclusions Our findings suggest level was increased acerifolia spatially fragmented over waterfalls. Habitat differentiation taxa could have contributed patterns then shaped contrasting