Testing for evolutionary change in restoration: a genomic comparison betweenex situ, native and commercial seed sources ofHelianthus maximiliani

Abstract

Globally imperiled ecosystems often depend upon collection, propagation, and storage of seed material for use in restoration. However, during the restoration process demographic changes, population bottlenecks, and selection can alter the genetic composition of seed material, with potential impacts for restoration success. The evolutionary outcomes associated with these processes have been demonstrated using theoretical and experimental frameworks, but no studies to date have examined the impact these processes have had on the seed material maintained for conservation and restoration. In this study, we compare genomic variation across seed sources used in conservation and restoration for the perennial prairie plant Helianthus maximiliani, a key component of restorations across North American grasslands. We compare individuals sourced from contemporary wild populations, ex situ conservation collections, commercially produced restoration material, and two populations selected for agronomic traits. Overall, we observed that ex situ and contemporary wild populations exhibited a similar genomic composition, while four of five commercial populations and selected lines were differentiated from each other and other seed source populations. Genomic differences across seed sources could not be explained solely by isolation by distance nor directional selection. We did find evidence of sampling effects for ex situ collections, which exhibited significantly increased coancestry relative to commercial populations, suggesting increased relatedness. Interestingly, commercially sourced seed appeared to maintain an increased number of rare alleles relative to ex situ and wild contemporary seed sources. However, while commercial seed populations were not genetically depauperate, the genomic distance between wild and commercially produced seed suggests differentiation in the genomic composition could impact restoration success. Our results point towards the importance of genetic monitoring of species used for conservation and restoration as they are expected to be influenced by the evolutionary processes that contribute to divergence during the restoration process.

Populations restored using regional seed are genetically diverse and similar to natural populations in the region

“…In general, conventional seeds represent their populations of origin but are differentiated from populations in any distant target region (Gustafson et al., 2018; Massatti et al., 2018; Tong et al., 2020 but see e.g. Braasch et al., 2021; Shaw & Mummey, 2017). Therefore, using such seed sources could contaminate the regional gene pool and possibly reduce plant performance due to lacking regional adaptation (Bucharova et al., 2017).…”

Environmental contributions to the evolution of trait differences inGeum triflorum: Implications for restoration

“…Understanding how the environment influences trait variation is essential, particularly within the context of restoration (Wang et al, 2010). The evolution of ecotypic differences for vegetative, physiological, or reproductive life history traits can lead to differential success following seed transfer across environments during restoration (McKay et al, 2005;Anderson et al, 2016;Braasch et al, 2021;VanWallendael, Lowry & Hamilton, 2022). In addition, the history of selection may influence the distribution of genetic variance of traits important to adaptation.…”