Genetic Signs Of Connectivity In Primula Vulgaris (Primulaceae) In A Hedgerow Network Landscape

The effects of landscape configuration on the genetic connectivity of the heterostylous species Primula vulgaris Huds. (Primulaceae) were studied using AFLP markers. Isolation by distance pattern was shown by spatial autocorrelation analysis; moreover, hedgerow network distances were found to contribute less than Euclidian distances to spatial genetic structure. Pollen flow is probably the main factor shaping the spatial genetic structure rather than seed dispersal, which is limited in this myrmecochorous species. Detailed analysis on the genetic similarity between neighborhoods and differentiation rates showed that density of hedgerow networks impede gene flow. We therefore concluded that a high degree of habitat contiguity does not necessarily promote genetic connectivity. To cite this article: P Campagne et al., C R. Biologies 332 (2009). (C) 2009 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.