title: Ecological systems as computer networks: Long distance sea dispersal as a communication medium between island plant populations.
abstract: Ecological systems are known to exchange genetic material through animal species migration and seed dispersal for plants. Isolated plant populations have developed long distance dispersal as a means of propagation which rely on meteorological such as anemochory and hydrochory for coast, island and river bank dwelling species. Long distance dispersal by water, in particular, in the case of water current bound islands, calls for the analogy with computer networks, where each island and nearby mainland site plays the role of a network node, the water currents play the role of a transmission channel, and water borne seeds as data packets. In this paper we explore this analogy to model long distance dispersal of seeds among island and mainland populations, when traversed with water currents, in order to model and predict their future genetic diversity. The case of Pancratium maritimum L. populations in Tunisia is used as a proof of concept, where their genetic diversity is extrapolated.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, North Urban Center, BP 676, 1080 Tunis cedex, Tunisia. Electronic address: sanaaadnen@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Adnen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanaa
authors.affiliation: 6'Com Laboratory, ENIT, El Manar University. BP 37, Le Belvedere 1002 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Abid
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Physico-chemical Research and Analysis, Laboratory of Natural Substances, Sidi Thabet, 2020 Ariana, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Abdennacer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boulila
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, North Urban Center, BP 676, 1080 Tunis cedex, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Chokri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Messaoud
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, North Urban Center, BP 676, 1080 Tunis cedex, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boussaid
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (INSAT), Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, North Urban Center, BP 676, 1080 Tunis cedex, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Najeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Fadhel
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003142:Communication; D017753:Ecosystem; D062312:Islands; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D058614:Seed Dispersal / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Computer networks; Genetic diversity; Island; Long distance dispersal; Pancratium maritimum L.