Abstract
Hedgerows are an important component of agricultural landscapes, but in recent years have increasingly faced threats such as habitat loss, land use change, climate change, invasive species, pests and plant pathogens. Given the potential importance of genetic diversity in countering these threats, and the spatial distribution of such diversity within and across natural populations, we analyzed levels and patterns of diversity in blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), a key component of many hedgerows. Twenty-one populations of blackthorn from a mixture of hedgerows and woodlands were genotyped for four nuclear and five chloroplast microsatellites. Three hundred twenty-one unique clonal genotypes were identified from 558 individuals analyzed, 207 of which were found in a single individual. With the exception of a single population that appears to have been planted recently from seed (Peatlands Park), all populations exhibited evidence of vegetative reproduction via suckering. Multi-ramet clones were highly spatially structured within populations, and ranged in size from < 1 to 258 m. These findings indicate that asexual reproduction is widespread in the populations of blackthorn studied. Although levels of clonality varied across study sites, there was clear spatial structuring of clones in each case. Such clonal organization should be taken into account in hedge management or where planting or replanting of hedgerows becomes necessary. Knowledge of the patterns and extent of spatial structuring of genotypes within potential source populations will allow the selection of genetically divergent material, rather than selection of clonal replicates of the same genotype.
Highlights
Hedgerows have been an integral part of agricultural landscapes for hundreds of years
The findings of the present study indicate that asexual reproduction is widespread in the populations of blackthorn studied
The levels of clonality varied across the study sites, there was clear spatial structuring of clones within each location, with some clones extending over tens and even hundreds of metres
Summary
Hedgerows have been an integral part of agricultural landscapes for hundreds of years They were planted initially to act as field boundaries, but are considered important not just for their function as barriers, and due to the diverse ecosystem services they provide (Montgomery et al 2020). These include acting as windbreaks, preventing soil erosion, and acting as habitats, food sources and wildlife. As a result of management based on prescriptions related to agricultural subsidies, many hedges are reduced in size and cut on an annual basis (Staley et al 2015). There is a risk that these declines may be compounded by the ongoing threats faced by both woodland and hedgerow species such as habitat loss, land use change, climate change, invasive species, pests and plant pathogens (Rackham 2008; Spaans et al 2018)
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