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Contrasting latitudinal clines of nematode diversity in Spartina alterniflora saltmarshes between native and introduced ranges

Cite this dataset

Wu, Jihua; Zhang, Youzheng; Li, Bo; Pennings, Steven (2020). Contrasting latitudinal clines of nematode diversity in Spartina alterniflora saltmarshes between native and introduced ranges [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.djh9w0vwj

Abstract

Aim: Introduced species may display or foster novel latitudinal clines because they are not well adapted to their new habitats. We tested the hypothesis that the latitudinal cline in nematode diversity in saltmarshes would differ between the native (United States) and introduced (China) ranges of Spartina alterniflora.

Location: East Coasts of the United States (30.32°N to 43.33°N) and China (30.36°N to 39.14°N).

Methods: We extracted nematodes from soil samples collected at 32 sites along the United States East Coast and 41 sites along the Chinese coast. We compared latitudinal patterns in nematode diversity and composition between the native and introduced ranges.

Results: In the native range of S. alterniflora, nematode richness at lower latitudes was almost twice as high as that at higher latitudes. In contrast, we found no latitudinal pattern in nematode richness or diversity in the introduced range of S. alterniflora. Nematode genus richness at all sites in China was about half that at lower latitudes in the United States. Beta diversity of nematodes increased with geographic distance in the United States, but not China.

Main conclusions: Nematode diversity did not show latitudinal clines in saltmarshes dominated by introduced S. alterniflora in China. A likely explanation is that the recently-introduced populations are still relatively genetically homogenous, whereas in the native range, genetic variation in plant populations across latitude drives different nematode communities. We suggest that future studies of introduced species will gain additional insights by taking an explicitly geographic perspective.

Funding

Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Award: 2017YFC1200103

National Natural Science Foundation of China, Award: 41630528

Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Award: OCE-1237140

National Natural Science Foundation of China, Award: 41871035

Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Award: OCE-1832178

Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Award: OCE-1237140