A Catastrophic Destruction of African Forests about 2,500 Years Ago Still Exerts a Major Influence on Present Vegetation Formations

Maley, Jean

doi:10.1111/j.1759-5436.2002.tb00003.x

Cited by 88 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The limited ability of the clustering software Spatial genetic structure of D. benthamianus to assign some individuals to one of the three clusters, especially in western Gabon, may be a consequence of partial admixture. Forests in Central Africa have also been affected by major climatic events that occurred more recently, 4000 and 2500 years BP (Maley, 2002), and these might also have caused forest fragmentation. However, these disturbances lasted only for relatively short times, and population sizes in isolated fragments would have to have been very small to account for the observed F ST (o150-250 individuals, assuming a generation time of 100 years and very recent population expansion).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population history and gene dispersal inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African timber tree, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Caesalpinioideae)

2010

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African rainforests have undergone major distribution range shifts during the Quaternary, but few studies have investigated their impact on the genetic diversity of plant species and we lack knowledge on the extent of gene flow to predict how plant species can cope with such environmental changes. Analysis of the spatial genetic structure (SGS) of a species is an effective method to determine major directions of the demographic history of its populations and to estimate the extent of gene dispersal. This study characterises the SGS of an African tropical timber tree species, Distemonanthus benthamianus, at various spatial scales in Cameroon and Gabon. Displaying a large continuous distribution in the Lower Guinea domain, this is a model species to detect signs of past population fragmentation and recolonization, and to estimate the extent of gene dispersal. Ten microsatellite loci were used to genotype 295 adult trees sampled from eight populations. Three clearly differentiated gene pools were resolved at this regional scale and could be linked to the biogeographical history of the region, rather than to physical barriers to gene flow. A comparison with the distribution of gene pools observed for two other tree species living in the same region invalidates the basic assumption that all species share the same Quaternary refuges and recolonization pathways. In four populations, significant and similar patterns of SGS were detected. Indirect estimates of gene dispersal distances (sigma) obtained for three populations ranged from 400 to 1200 m, whereas neighbourhood size estimates ranged from 50 to 110.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population history and gene dispersal inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African timber tree, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Caesalpinioideae)

2010

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“…Geological and palynological research of lake sediments from several sites has shown that 2500 BP the Central African forest experienced a catastrophic destruction that led to a major extension of the savannah (Maley & Brenac, 1998;Maley, 2002). Detailed pollen records from Lake Barombi Mbo in western Cameroon, lake Ossa in south Cameroon, Lake Kitinia in western Congo, Lakes Mboandong and Njupi in south Congo reveal the presence of pseudo-periods of about 2000-2500 BP for several tree taxa typical of mature undisturbed forest (Elenga et al, 1994(Elenga et al, , 1996Reynaud-Ferrera et al, 1996).…”

Section: Late Quaternary Vegetation Changes In Central Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Bio‐indicator species and Central African rain forest refuges in the Campo‐Ma'an area, Cameroon

Tchouto¹,

Wilde

Boer

et al. 2009

Systematics and Biodiversity

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“…Rainforests are also fragile and they keep lasting traces of climatic changes and of human impacts (Maley 2002, Vincens et al 1999. During the Late Pleistocene, dry phases repeatedly reduced considerably the size of the tropical forest around the globe, around 60 kya, 40 kya, 25-11 kya (Dupont et al 2000, Maley 2004, Sémah & RenaultMiskovsky 2004, Sultan et al 2001, Van der Hammen & Hooghiemstra 2000.…”

Section: Rainforests Biodiversity Long-time Depths and The Impact Omentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Bananas Matter: An introduction to the history of banana domestication

Langhe

Vrydaghs²,

Maret

et al. 2009

Ethnobot. Res. App.

172

116

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A Catastrophic Destruction of African Forests about 2,500 Years Ago Still Exerts a Major Influence on Present Vegetation Formations

Cited by 88 publications

References 39 publications

Population history and gene dispersal inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African timber tree, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Caesalpinioideae)

Population history and gene dispersal inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African timber tree, Distemonanthus benthamianus (Caesalpinioideae)

Bio‐indicator species and Central African rain forest refuges in the Campo‐Ma'an area, Cameroon

Why Bananas Matter: An introduction to the history of banana domestication

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