A bridge or a barrier? Beringia's influence on the distribution and diversity of tundra plants

Background: Evidence strongly suggests that Beringia was a refugium for tundra taxa throughout the Quaternary (the last 2 million years). However, the genetic consequences of the repeated formation and flooding of the Bering Land Bridge remain uncertain. Aims: The goal of this paper was to determine the role that the unique environmental history of Beringia played in the diversification of tundra flora. Methods: I adopted a comparative coalescent approach to test models of divergence for arctic flora within Beringia. The literature was surveyed for phylogeographic studies that sampled broadly across the region and incorporated molecular markers appropriate for coalescent analyses. Of the 13 possible taxa, only two fit these criteria: Saxifraga oppositifolia (Saxifragaceae) and Vaccinium uliginosum (Ericaceae). Observed gene trees were compared with a distribution of trees simulated under neutral coalescence to test models of population divergence. Population models fell within two major categories reflecting the importance of either the Bering Land Bridge or the Bering Sea dispersal barrier on the distribution of genetic diversity in the species. Results: Both species fit 'bridge' models, but S. oppositifolia supported a model of eastward migration while V. uliginosum fits a unified Beringia refugium model. The evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed. Conclusions: The limited number of studies emphasises the need for more sequence-based research in the region. This will help resolve the history of the Beringia tundra ecosystem, which has important implications for the diversification of tundra flora, the history of Beringia, and the potential consequences of climate change on the distribution of biological diversity.