Limits to the Adaptive Potential of Small Populations

Willi, Yvonne; Buskirk, Josh Van; Hoffmann, Ary A.

doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.37.091305.110145

Cited by 768 publications

(800 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…In addition to a relatively high heterozygosity (average Ho 0.61 and He 0.60), we found deviations from HardyWeinberg equilibrium for two loci. However, the average F m value (-0.06) suggests that heterozygosity loss, and hence long-term adaptability (Willi et al 2006), is not a significant problem in El Bierzo.…”

Section: Genetic Diversity In El Bierzo Orchardsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Genetic characterization of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards and traditional nut varieties in El Bierzo, a glacial refuge and major cultivation site in northwestern Spain

Quintana

Contreras

Merino

et al. 2014

Tree Genetics & Genomes

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This paper presents a detailed genetic study of Castanea sativa in El Bierzo, a major nut production region with interesting features. It is located within a glacial refuge at one extreme of the distribution area (northwest Spain); it has a centenary tradition of chestnut management; and more importantly, it shows an unusual degree of genetic isolation. Seven nuclear microsatellite markers were selected to analyze the genetic variability and structure of 169 local trees grafted for nut production. We analyzed in the same manner 62 local nuts. The selected loci were highly discriminant for the genotypes studied, giving a combined probability of identity of 6.1 x 10~6. An unprecedented density of trees was sampled for this project over the entire region, and nuts were collected representing 18 cultivars marketed by local producers. Several instances of misclassification by local growers were detected. Fixation index estimates and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) data are supportive of an unexpectedly high level of genetic differentiation in El Bierzo, larger than that estimated in a previous study with broader geographical scope but based on limited local sampling (Pereira-Lorenzo et al., Tree Genet Genomes 6: 701-715, 2010a). Likewise, we have determined that clonality due to grafting had been previously overestimated. In line with these observations, no significant spatial structure was found using both a modelbased Bayesian procedure and Mantel's tests. Taken together, our results evidence the need for more fine-scale genetic studies if conservation strategies are to be efficiently improved.

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Section: Genetic Diversity In El Bierzo Orchardsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Genetic characterization of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards and traditional nut varieties in El Bierzo, a glacial refuge and major cultivation site in northwestern Spain

Quintana

Contreras

Merino

et al. 2014

Tree Genetics & Genomes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Estimates of heritability range from 0 to 1; the closer the estimate is to 1, the more the variation is explained by genetic, and therefore heritable, differences. The adaptive potential of a population can therefore be estimated by the amount of adaptive trait variation (Willi et al 2006). …”

Section: Raw Materials For Evolution: Standing Genetic Variation and Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints to and conservation implications for climate change adaptation in plants

2015

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Contemporary climate change is having widespread impacts on plant populations. Understanding how plants respond to this change is essential to our efforts to conserve them. The key climate responses of plant populations can be categorised into one of three types: migration, in situ adaptation, or extirpation. If populations are to avoid extirpation then migration and/or in situ adaptation is essential. In this review we first articulate the current and future constraints of plant populations, but trees in particular, to the different adaptation strategies (e.g. space availability, rate of change, habitat fragmentation, niche availability). Secondly, we assess the use of the most appropriate methods (e.g. natural environmental gradients, genome and transcriptome scans) for assessing and understanding adaptive responses and the capacity to adapt to future challenges. Thirdly, we discuss the best conservation approaches (e.g. assisted migration, biodiversity corridors, ex situ strategies) to help overcome adaptive constraints in plants. Our synthesis of plant, and particularly tree, responses and constraints to climate change adaptation, combined with the identification of conservation strategies designed to overcome constraints, will help deliver effective management actions to assist adaptation in the face of current and future climate change.

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“…Munwes et al 2010). According to the theoretical predictions, less genetically diverse populations are often characterised by lower viability (Frankham 2003;Reed and Frankham 2003;Aguilar et al 2008) and/or adaptability (Young et al 1996, Willi et al 2006. However, the risk of negative consequences of fragmentation is related primarily to the dispersal capability (Thomas 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population at the edge: increased divergence but not inbreeding towards northern range limit in Acer campestre

Chybicki

Waldon‐Rudzionek

Meyza

2014

Tree Genetics & Genomes

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Ecological conditions shape natural distribution of plants. Populations are denser in optimal habitats but become more fragmented in the areas of suboptimal environmental conditions. Usually, fragmentation increases towards the limits of species distribution. Fragmented populations are often characterised by decreased genetic variation, and this effect is frequent in peripheral populations, mostly due to the reduced effective population size. Interestingly, the genetic consequences of fragmentation seem to be relatively weak in forest trees. Using microsatellite markers, we assessed the impact of population fragmentation on the genetic structure of a European tree species Acer campestre. Within the study area, this medium-size wind-dispersed and insect-pollinated tree reveals a gradual decrease in population density towards the northern range limit. Over the distance of 150 km, we detected the significant decrease in allelic richness, heterozygosity as well as an increase in the rate of population divergence along with latitude. On the other hand, we failed to show that the observed patterns of genetic structure result from the variation in population densities. Moreover, inbreeding levels revealed no association with both density and geographic location, suggesting that pollen limitation does not occur, even at the range margin. As we showed that there is no difference in a dispersal scale between low-and highdensity populations in the study species, we argue that the genetic structure is a result of postglacial recolonization. However, unlike many other forest trees, A. campestre showed the sharp latitudinal genetic pattern at a very restricted spatial scale. Limited dispersal and high fragmentation are likely the reasons.

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Limits to the Adaptive Potential of Small Populations

Cited by 768 publications

References 132 publications

Genetic characterization of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards and traditional nut varieties in El Bierzo, a glacial refuge and major cultivation site in northwestern Spain

Genetic characterization of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards and traditional nut varieties in El Bierzo, a glacial refuge and major cultivation site in northwestern Spain

Constraints to and conservation implications for climate change adaptation in plants

Population at the edge: increased divergence but not inbreeding towards northern range limit in Acer campestre

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