title: Isolation mediates persistent founder effects on zooplankton colonisation in new temporary ponds.
abstract: Understanding the colonisation process in zooplankton is crucial for successful restoration of aquatic ecosystems. Here, we analyzed the clonal and genetic structure of the cyclical parthenogenetic rotifer Brachionus plicatilis by following populations established in new temporary ponds during the first three hydroperiods. Rotifer populations established rapidly after first flooding, although colonisation was ongoing throughout the study. Multilocus genotypes from 7 microsatellite loci suggested that most populations (10 of 14) were founded by few clones. The exception was one of the four populations that persisted throughout the studied hydroperiods, where high genetic diversity in the first hydroperiod suggested colonisation from a historical egg bank, and no increase in allelic diversity was detected with time. In contrast, in another of these four populations, we observed a progressive increase of allelic diversity. This population became less differentiated from the other populations suggesting effective gene flow soon after its foundation. Allelic diversity and richness remained low in the remaining two, more isolated, populations, suggesting little gene flow. Our results highlight the complexity of colonisation dynamics, with evidence for persistent founder effects in some ponds, but not in others, and with early immigration both from external source populations, and from residual, historical diapausing egg banks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.|Aquatic Ecology Group, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, c/ de la Laura, 13, 08500 Vic, Spain.|School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badosa
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Andy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.|School of Marine Studies, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Africa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D018703:Founder Effect; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D061005:Ponds / Q000382:microbiology*; D012403:Rotifera / Q000235:genetics; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000235:genetics*