Abstract
The ability of perennial species to adapt their phenology to present and future temperature conditions is important for their ability to retain high fitness compared to other competing plant species, pests, and pathogens. Many transplanting studies with forest tree species have previously reported substantial genetic differentiation among populations within their native range. However, the question of “how local is local” is still highly debated in conservation biology because studies on genetic patterns of variation within and among populations at the local scale are limited and scattered. In this study, we compare the level of genetic differentiation among populations of six different perennial plant species based on their variation in spring flushing. We assess the level of additive genetic variation present within the local population. For all six species, we find significant differentiation among populations from sites with mean annual temperature ranging between 7.4°C and 8.4°C. The observed variation can only be partly explained by the climate at the site of origin. Most clear relationship between early flushing and higher average spring temperature is observed for the three wind‐pollinated species in the study, while the relations are much less clear for the three insect‐pollinated species. This supports that pollination system can influence the balance between genetic drift and natural selection and thereby influence the level of local adaptation in long‐lived species. On the positive side, we find that the native populations of woody plant species have maintained high levels of additive genetic variation in spring phenology, although this also differs substantially among the six studied species.
Highlights
Phenology is important for fitness of perennial species
We find that the native populations of woody plant species have maintained high levels of additive genetic variation in spring phenology, this differs substantially among the six studied species
Bud burst for B. pubescens, C. sanguinea, M. sylvestris, and R. dumalis were assessed in spring 2010, while assessments of C. avellana and Q. petraea were from spring 2013
Summary
Phenology is important for fitness of perennial species. Higher spring temperatures are expected to prolong the growing seasons due to earlier bud burst (Dragoni et al, 2011; Menzel & Fabian, 1999; Menzel et al, 2006; Richardson et al, 2010, 2013; Vitasse, Delzon, Dufrêne, et al, 2009), while lack of synchrony between phenology and occurrence of spring frost events increases risk of damage to early flushing plants (Duputié, Rutschmann, Ronce, & Chuine, 2015). Again, raised temperatures with no frost events and changes in daily. Several studies have documented substantial variation among populations in their phenology reflecting their geographic origin (Alberto, Derory, et al, 2013; Chuine & Beaubien, 2001; Salmela, Cavers, Cottrell, Iason, & Ennos, 2013). A study based on 59 tree species from similar climatic clines showed a relative clear pattern with respect to bud set in autumn but less clear pattern in spring bud burst (Alberto, Aitken, et al, 2013). The expectation of local adaptation often leads restoration and conservation programs to focus on gene pools at the local scale rather than the regional scale (Stanturf et al, 2015), but only few studies have assessed the variation at the local scale (within ~100 km)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
