ABSTRACT: Sophora moorcroftiana is a perennial leguminous low shrub endemic to the Yarlung Zangbo River basin in Tibet with irreplaceable economic and ecological value. To determine the drivers of evolution in this species, 225 individuals belonging to 15 populations from different geographic locations were sampled, and population genetics was studied using high-throughput genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Based on genetic diversity analysis, phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and structure analysis, 15 natural populations were clustered into the following five subgroups: subgroup I (Shigatse subgroup) was located in the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River with a relatively high level of population genetic variation (means for PIC, Shannon and PI were 0.173, 0.326 and 0.0000305, respectively), and gene flow within the subgroup was also high (mean value for Nm was 4.67). Subgroup II (including Pop 7 and Pop 8; means for PIC, Shannon and PI were 0.182, 0.345 and 0.0000321, respectively), located in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River had relatively high levels of gene flow with the populations distributed in the upper and lower reaches. The Nm between subgroup II with subgroups I and III was 3.271 and 2.894, respectively. Considering all the genetic diversity indices Pop 8 had relatively high genetic diversity. Subgroup III (the remaining mixed subgroup of Lhasa and Shannan) was located in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River and the means for PIC, Shannon and PI were 0.172, 0.324 and 0.0000303, respectively. Subgroup IV (Nyingchi subgroup), located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River basin, showed a further genetic distance from the other subgroups and the means for PIC, Shannon and PI were 0.147, 0.277 and 0.0000263, respectively. Subgroup V (Nyingchi Gongbu Jiangda subgroup), located in the upper reaches of the Niyang River, had the lowest level of genetic variation (means for PIC, Shannon and PI were 0.106, 0.198 and 0.0000187, respectively) and gene flow with other populations (mean value for Nm was 0.42). According to the comprehensive analysis, the S. moorcroftiana populations generally expanded from upstream to downstream and displayed a high level of genetic differentiation in the populations in the upper and lower reaches. There were high levels of gene exchange between the central populations with upstream and downstream populations, and wind-induced seed dispersal was an important factor in the formation of this gene exchange mode.
