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Populus hybrid hosts drive divergence in the herbivorous mite, Aceria parapopuli: implications for conservation of plant hybrid zones as essential habitat

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Abstract

Plant hybrid zones receive little conservation attention, yet they may be centers of diversity and evolutionary opportunity for dependent species. In previous studies, cottonwood hybrid zones have been shown to be important drivers of biological diversity and herbivore evolution. Despite these findings, no studies have examined whether hybrid host use drives herbivore genetic divergence across a broad geographic range. Here, we examined the role of Populus hybridization on the evolution of the eriophyid mite, Aceria parapopuli, using ITS1 sequence differentiation. We found support for the hypothesis that Populus hybridization has driven genetic divergence in mites in multiple hybrid zones. Furthermore, our data suggest that hybrid host use has followed at least two instances of mite genetic divergence. Our findings have several important conservation implications. First, they suggest that cottonwood hybrid zones can be important drivers of evolutionary divergence in a dependent herbivore. Second, different hybrid zones represent different ecological environments, and provide independent opportunities for local adaptation and divergence. Although hybrid plants are not considered a high priority for conservation management, and in some cases viewed as “evolutionary dead ends”, our results suggest that new consideration ought to be given to plant hybrid zones. As shown here, natural hybrid zones provide unique ecological and evolutionary opportunities, and essential habitat for dependent species, all of which deserve conservation attention and increased protection.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Cottonwood Ecology Group, Amy Whipple, Tamara Max, Randy Bangert, Suzanne Hagell, Katie Mayer, and Alyssa Bennett for helpful discussion and laboratory assistance. This work was supported by National Science Foundation—FIBR DEB-0425908 to TGW and GJA, Science Foundation Arizona Graduate Student Fellowship and NSF IGERT and Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant to LME, and Northern Arizona University.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA

    Luke M. Evans, Gerard J. Allan & Thomas G. Whitham

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  1. Luke M. Evans
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Correspondence to Luke M. Evans.

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Evans, L.M., Allan, G.J. & Whitham, T.G. Populus hybrid hosts drive divergence in the herbivorous mite, Aceria parapopuli: implications for conservation of plant hybrid zones as essential habitat. Conserv Genet 13, 1601–1609 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-012-0409-z

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