TY - JOUR
T1 - Small-scale geographic differences in multiple-driver environmental variability can modulate contrasting phenotypic plasticity despite high levels of gene flow
AU - Castillo, Nicole
AU - Gaitán-Espitia, Juan Diego
AU - Quintero-Galvis, Julian F.
AU - Saldías, Gonzalo S.
AU - Martel, Sebastián I.
AU - Lardies, Marco A.
AU - Mesas, Andrés
AU - Pérez-Santos, Iván E.
AU - Gelcich, Stefan
AU - Vargas, Cristian A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2024/12/1
Y1 - 2024/12/1
N2 - Climate change is altering not only the mean conditions of marine environments, but also their temporal variability and predictability. As these alterations are not uniform across seascapes, their biological effects are expected to accentuate intra-specific differences in the adaptive capacity (e.g., plasticity and evolutionary potential) of natural populations. To test this theoretical framework, we assessed the phenotypic and genetic profiles of mussel from three study sites across a multi-driver heterogeneous environmental mosaic in Chilean Patagonia. Our study reveals that temporal variability, predictability, and exposure to extreme events (low pH/low salinity), collectively, can modulate the plasticity and optimal conditions of mussels. Despite these phenotypic differences, we observed low genetic differentiation, likely resulting from significant gene flow induced by aquaculture, ultimately diminishing variation among individuals from different geographic areas. Our findings underscore how variability and predictability are essential factors shaping phenotypic diversity, even at small spatial scales. Balancing these factors could enhance species resilience and ecological success, crucial for biodiversity conservation amidst climate change.
AB - Climate change is altering not only the mean conditions of marine environments, but also their temporal variability and predictability. As these alterations are not uniform across seascapes, their biological effects are expected to accentuate intra-specific differences in the adaptive capacity (e.g., plasticity and evolutionary potential) of natural populations. To test this theoretical framework, we assessed the phenotypic and genetic profiles of mussel from three study sites across a multi-driver heterogeneous environmental mosaic in Chilean Patagonia. Our study reveals that temporal variability, predictability, and exposure to extreme events (low pH/low salinity), collectively, can modulate the plasticity and optimal conditions of mussels. Despite these phenotypic differences, we observed low genetic differentiation, likely resulting from significant gene flow induced by aquaculture, ultimately diminishing variation among individuals from different geographic areas. Our findings underscore how variability and predictability are essential factors shaping phenotypic diversity, even at small spatial scales. Balancing these factors could enhance species resilience and ecological success, crucial for biodiversity conservation amidst climate change.
KW - Climate change
KW - Environmental mosaic
KW - Environmental predictability
KW - Extreme environmental events
KW - Genetic profiles
KW - Phenotypic plasticity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205713116&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176772
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176772
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85205713116
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 954
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 176772
ER -