Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1021/acs.est.6b04629
Title (Primary) Anthropogenic stressors shape genetic structure: insights from a model freshwater population along a land use gradient
Author Inostroza, P.A.; Vera-Escalona, I.; Wicht, A.-J.; Krauss, M. ORCID logo ; Brack, W.; Norf, H.
Source Titel Environmental Science & Technology
Year 2016
Department ASAM; FLOEK; WANA
Volume 50
Issue 20
Page From 11346
Page To 11356
Language englisch
UFZ wide themes RU2;
Abstract Environmental pollution including mutagens from wastewater effluents and discontinuity by man-made barriers are considered typical anthropogenic pressures on microevolutionary processes that are responsible for the loss of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we tested for the effects of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), weirs and other stressors on the invertebrate species Gammarus pulex at the population genetic level combining evolutionary ecotoxicology, body burden analysis and testing for exposure to mutagens. Exposure to chemical pollution alone and in combination with the presence of weirs resulted in a depression of allelic richness in native G. pulex populations. Our results suggest that the input of a mutagenic effluent from a WWTP resulted in a strong increase in private alleles over the affected populations. In addition, the presence of weirs along the river disrupted the migration across the river and thus the gene flow between G. pulex upstream and downstream. This study provides strong evidence that the assessment of genetic variation including private alleles together with the contamination of mutagenic and nonmutagenic chemical pollution offers new insights into the regulation of genetic population structure and highlights the relevance of emerging anthropogenic pressures at the genetic level.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18060
Inostroza, P.A., Vera-Escalona, I., Wicht, A.-J., Krauss, M., Brack, W., Norf, H. (2016):
Anthropogenic stressors shape genetic structure: insights from a model freshwater population along a land use gradient
Environ. Sci. Technol. 50 (20), 11346 - 11356 10.1021/acs.est.6b04629