Geography and forest naturalness as drivers of genetic diversity in saproxylic beetles

Abstract

Understanding how geography and forest management shape genetic diversity is pivotal for the conservation of saproxylic beetles, the key indicators of forest ecosystem integrity. Using a multi-species Double Digest Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing approach, we analyzed genome-scale SNP variation in 12 saproxylic beetle species (rare and common, incl. pests) differing in abundance, ecology, and mobility across central European forests, with respect to both geographic location and forest status. Analyses of distance-based redundancy test, molecular variance, and population structure consistently revealed that geography is the main determinant of genetic differentiation, with clear east-west clustering in several species. Forest status represented in four levels (commercial not protected, nature reserve, primeval not protected, and primeval protected) exerted a secondary but detectable effect in a subset of taxa, especially among rare and habitat-specialized species. For these species, populations from primeval protected sites showed distinct genetic structure compared to those from commercial stands. Our results highlight that regional connectivity, maintaining gene flow across a large spatial scale, should be prioritized in conservation planning, complemented by the protection of primeval forest refugia and the maintenance of structural complexity in commercial forests. By integrating high-resolution genomic data with geographical and management context, this study provides actionable insights into the processes shaping genetic structure in forest-dependent insects and underscores the importance of incorporating genetic monitoring into sustainable forest biodiversity management.