Victorian Alpine Plot Network (Alpine Long Term Monitoring - Community Changes): Multi-taxa Phylogenomic Data, 2012–2013

Brief description

Global change poses significant and urgent challenges for biodiversity conservation. Species persistence under a rapidly changing environment ultimately depends on abilities to disperse to favourable habitats or adapt in situ by plastic or evolutionary mechanisms. Conservation strategies preserving endemism and adaptive potential are critical. This study aims to investigate the phylogeographic history of Victorian Alpine plants using high-density genetic markers. Multi-taxa genomic data was compared to determine common phylogeographic patterns and identify evolutionary processes shaping biodiversity. Spatial patterns of genetic structure were used to delineate evolutionary bioregions and refugia of high conservation value. Life-history traits have seldom been explicitly within a landscape genetic framework. Spatial isolation is a key component of genetic structure for sessile organisms. This study demonstrates that life-history traits are primary drivers of inter-population connectivity and genetic structure. Differences across taxa impacted on patterns of genetic structure on fine spatial scales, while common patterns were observed at broad scales regardless of life-history traits. These findings complement other Australian Alpine genetic studies indicate that flora and fauna in Victorian Alps share a common genetic structure and phylogeographic history driven by unique processes. The geomorphology of the Victorian Alps has clearly driven the evolutionary trajectories of the native flora and fauna. This approach could inform evidence based conservation policy. Previously undelineated cryptic species were revealed by this study—highlighting limitations of traditional taxonomy and the utility of new approaches. This project demonstrates how genomic technologies can characterise evolutionary processes at landscape scales, and detect important patterns in at-risk ecosystems. This data is related to the following publication: Bell, N., Griffin, P. C., Hoffmann, A. A., & Miller, A.D. (2018). Spatial patterns of genetic diversity among Australian alpine flora communities revealed by comparative phylogenomics. Journal of Biogeography, 45, 177–189. Published online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jbi.13120 (free access). DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13120