Drift happens: Molecular genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis Meerb.) reflect fragmentation of floodplain forests.

Landscape features often shape patterns of gene flow and genetic differentiation in plant species. Populations that are small and isolated enough also become subject to genetic drift. We examined patterns of gene flow and differentiation among 12 floodplain populations of the selfing annual jewelweed (Impatiens capensis Meerb.) nested within four river systems and two major watersheds in Wisconsin, USA. Floodplain forests and marshes provide a model system for assessing the effects of habitat fragmentation within agricultural/urban landscapes and for testing whether rivers act to genetically connect dispersed populations. We generated a panel of 12,856 single nucleotide polymorphisms and assessed genetic diversity, differentiation, gene flow, and drift. Clustering methods revealed strong population genetic structure with limited admixture and highly differentiated populations (mean multilocus F  = 0.32, F ' = 0.33). No signals of isolation by geographic distance or environment emerged, but alleles may flow along rivers given that genetic differentiation increased with river distance. Differentiation also increased in populations with fewer private alleles (R  = 0.51) and higher local inbreeding (R  = 0.22). Populations varied greatly in levels of local inbreeding (F  = 0.2-0.9) and F increased in more isolated populations. These results suggest that genetic drift dominates other forces in structuring these Impatiens populations. In rapidly changing environments, species must migrate or genetically adapt. Habitat fragmentation limits both processes, potentially compromising the ability of species to persist in fragmented landscapes.