Fine-scale genetic differentiation of a temperate herb: relevance of local environments and demographic change

The genetic structure of a plant species is shaped by environmental adaptation and demographic factors, but their relative contributions are still unknown. To examine the environment- or geography-related differentiation, we quantified genetic variation among 41 populations of a temperate herb, Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera (Brassicaceae). We analysed 19 microsatellite loci, which showed a significant population differentiation and a moderate within-population genetic diversity (global Gst = 0.42 and Hs = 0.19). Our structure analysis and phylogenetic network did not detect more than two genetic groups across the Japanese mainland but found fine-scale genetic differentiations and admixed patterns around the central area. Across the Japanese mainland, we found significant evidence for isolation-by-distance but not for isolation-by-environments. However, at least within the central area, the magnitude of genetic differentiation tended to increase with microhabitat dissimilarity under light conditions and water availability. Furthermore, most populations have been estimated to experience a recent decline in the effective population size, indicating a possibility of bottleneck effects on the pattern of genetic variation. These findings highlight a potential influence of the microhabitat conditions and demographic changes on the local-scale genetic differentiation among natural plant populations.