Phylogeography of the component species of broad-leaved evergreen forests in Japan, based on chloroplast DNA variation.
In order to elucidate the past distribution and colonization routes of broad-leaved evergreen (lucidophyllous) forests, we investigated the intraspecific phylogeographic patterns of lucidophyllous forests in Japan and surrounding areas. We selected 6 component species with a similar geographic distributions growing in Castanopsis-dominant forests. We defined possible important refugia during the glacial periods as the regions rich in rare haplotypes (with a frequency of 5% or less), or as regions rich in the number of common haplotypes (with a frequency of more than 5%). We then located the sites of refuge by comparing the intraspecific phylogeographic patterns among 6 component species of lucidophyllous forests with respect to these two parameters (i.e., haplotype uniqueness and the number of haplotypes). The following results were obtained during the course of this study: (1) rare haplotypes were distributed among islands around the main islands of Japan; (2) rare subtypes and the greatest numbers of common haplotypes were observed in Kyushu, a finding which agreed with fossilized pollen data demonstrative of the past existence of refugia in southern Kyushu; and (3) rare haplotypes were found on the Muroto Peninsula, and the second greatest numbers of common haplotypes were observed on the Kii Peninsula, a finding which suggested the existence of additional important refugia along the Pacific coast of Japan during the glacial ages.
Aoki
Kyoko
K
Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. aoki@sys.bot.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Suzuki
Takeshi
T
Hsu
Tsai-Wen
TW
Murakami
Noriaki
N
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D007564:Japan; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012639:Seeds / Q000502:physiology; D014197:Trees / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
D018744:DNA, Plant