Time to get moving: assisted gene flow of forest trees

Aitken, Sally N.; Bemmels, Jordan B.

doi:10.1111/eva.12293

Cited by 418 publications

(431 citation statements)

References 96 publications

(197 reference statements)

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“…Table 2) supports that selectively divergent phenotypes can be maintained even if there are options for gene flow among these populations as suggested by Aitken and Bemmels (2016). Kremer et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Differences among six woody perennials native to Northern Europe in their level of genetic differentiation and adaptive potential at fine local scale

Lobo

Hansen

Kjær

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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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.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Differences among six woody perennials native to Northern Europe in their level of genetic differentiation and adaptive potential at fine local scale

Lobo

Hansen

Kjær

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…While appropriate source and recipient populations could be selected based on climatic and other ecological data (a “best guess” approach), such efforts would be better informed by knowledge of adaptive variation and climatic drivers of local adaptation. Assisted gene flow is expected to be especially beneficial in dispersal‐limited, long‐lived species such as trees (Aitken & Bemmels, 2016; Gugger, Liang, Sork, Hodgskiss, & Wright, 2017; Steane et al., 2014). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guidelines for planning genomic assessment and monitoring of locally adaptive variation to inform species conservation

Flanagan

Forester

Latch

et al. 2017

Evolutionary Applications

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210

189

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Identifying and monitoring locally adaptive genetic variation can have direct utility for conserving species at risk, especially when management may include actions such as translocations for restoration, genetic rescue, or assisted gene flow. However, genomic studies of local adaptation require careful planning to be successful, and in some cases may not be a worthwhile use of resources. Here, we offer an adaptive management framework to help conservation biologists and managers decide when genomics is likely to be effective in detecting local adaptation, and how to plan assessment and monitoring of adaptive variation to address conservation objectives. Studies of adaptive variation using genomic tools will inform conservation actions in many cases, including applications such as assisted gene flow and identifying conservation units. In others, assessing genetic diversity, inbreeding, and demographics using selectively neutral genetic markers may be most useful. And in some cases, local adaptation may be assessed more efficiently using alternative approaches such as common garden experiments. Here, we identify key considerations of genomics studies of locally adaptive variation, provide a road map for successful collaborations with genomics experts including key issues for study design and data analysis, and offer guidelines for interpreting and using results from genomic assessments to inform monitoring programs and conservation actions.

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“…Longterm climatic projections have a high degree of uncertainty and represent a greater mismatch with the short-term climatic conditions plants may endure in the early, more vulnerable, stages of their life cycle (i.e., seedling and sapling stages; Gray et al, 2011;Isaac-Renton et al, 2014). For this reason, it is generally recommended that projection timeframes of 10-30 years be used (Gray et al, 2011;Aitken and Bemmels, 2016). It has also been recommended that the choice of climate change severity scenario should be dependent on the projects' approach to risk (Snover et al, 2013), as explained in Section Dealing with Uncertainty.…”

Section: How Is the Species Distribution Projected To Change?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When genetic adaptive variation data are not available, nor are the resources, in terms of funding or time, to undertake such investigations, knowledge developed on related species could be used Aitken and Bemmels, 2016). Mbogga et al (2010) and IsaacRenton et al (2014) also suggest that field-collected or remotely sensed-data of climate-driven plant health decline (especially relevant for trees) could be used to advocate for a provenance approach that increases the resilience of restoration plantings through assisted gene flow.…”

Section: Integrating Other Lines Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

A Climate-Oriented Approach to Support Decision-Making for Seed Provenance in Ecological Restoration

Ramalho¹,

Byrne²,

Yates³

2017

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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There is increasing awareness that the long-term success of ecological restoration efforts can be compromised if projected climate change is not effectively incorporated in restoration planning. We propose an approach that aims to support the decision-making process for seed provenance selection in ecological restoration when clear genetic-based guidelines for seed transfer are not available. The approach takes advantage of the increasing availability and refinement of user-friendly web-based GIS interfaces that allow non-experts to directly access biodiversity and environmental data, and build species distribution models. It offers an easily accessible desktop method that land managers and practitioners can use to gain insight: (1) on the overall spatial implications of projected climate change to their restoration project; (2) whether assisted gene flow through climate-adjusted provenance may be appropriate for a given species at a given restoration site; and (3) how far away and in which direction from the restoration site seeds should be collected from. This approach should be used in the early stages of the restoration project to help frame the decision-making process in a climate change context, and can also be used as a platform where other lines of evidence are integrated. We advocate that, in the context of rapid climate change, the climate-adjusted provenance is a promising approach to seed sourcing in ecological restoration, and we suggest its refinement in a way that hedges against uncertainty in climatic projections.

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Time to get moving: assisted gene flow of forest trees

Cited by 418 publications

References 96 publications

Differences among six woody perennials native to Northern Europe in their level of genetic differentiation and adaptive potential at fine local scale

Differences among six woody perennials native to Northern Europe in their level of genetic differentiation and adaptive potential at fine local scale

Guidelines for planning genomic assessment and monitoring of locally adaptive variation to inform species conservation

A Climate-Oriented Approach to Support Decision-Making for Seed Provenance in Ecological Restoration

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