Size-specific fecundity and the influence of lifetime size variation upon effective population size in Abies balsamea

Fine-scale spatial genetic structure across the species range reflects recent colonization of high elevation habitats in silver fir (Abies alba Mill.)

Variation in genetic diversity across species ranges has long been recognized as highly informative for assessing populations’ resilience and adaptive potential. The spatial distribution of genetic diversity within populations, referred to as fine‐scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS), also carries information about recent demographic changes, yet it has rarely been connected to range scale processes. We studied eight silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) population pairs (sites), growing at high and low elevations, representative of the main genetic lineages of the species. A total of 1,368 adult trees and 540 seedlings were genotyped using 137 and 116 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), respectively. Sites revealed a clear east‐west isolation‐by‐distance pattern consistent with the post‐glacial colonization history of the species. Genetic differentiation among sites (F_CT = 0.148) was an order of magnitude greater than between elevations within sites (F_SC = 0.031), nevertheless high elevation populations consistently exhibited a stronger FSGS. Structural equation modelling revealed that elevation and, to a lesser extent, post‐glacial colonization history, but not climatic and habitat variables, were the best predictors of FSGS across populations. These results suggest that high elevation habitats have been colonized more recently across the species range. Additionally, paternity analysis revealed a high reproductive skew among adults and a stronger FSGS in seedlings than in adults, suggesting that FSGS may conserve the signature of demographic changes for several generations. Our results emphasize that spatial patterns of genetic diversity within populations provide information about demographic history complementary to non‐spatial statistics, and could be used for genetic diversity monitoring, especially in forest trees.

Simulating the effects of local adaptation and life history on the ability of plants to track climate shifts

Many studies have examined the impact of dispersal on local adaptation, but much less attention has been paid to how local adaptation influences range shifts. The aim of this study was to test how local adaptation might affect climate-driven range shifts in plants, and if this might differ between plants with different life histories. Simulated range shift dynamics were compared for hypothetical annual, perennial and tree species, each comprised of either one plastic genotype or six locally adapted genotypes. The landscape consists of shifting climate bands made up of 20 × 20 m patches containing multiple individuals. Effects of seed dispersal, breadth of the plastic species' tolerance, steepness of the climate gradient and rate of the climate shift are also examined. Local adaptation increased the equilibrium range size and aided range shifts by boosting fitness near range edges. However, when the rate of climate change was doubled on a steep gradient, locally adapted trees exhibited a higher percent loss of range during the climate shift. The plastic annual species with short dispersal was unable to recover its range size even after the climate stabilized, while the locally adapted annuals tracked climate change well. The results suggest that in most situations local adaptation and longer dispersal distances will be advantageous, though not necessarily sufficient, for tracking suitable climates. However, local adaptation might put species with long generation times at greater risk when climate shifts are very rapid. If confirmed by empirical tests, these results suggest that identifying variation between species in how fitness varies along climate gradients and in these key demographic rates might aid in prioritizing management actions.

Somatic mutations substantially increase the per-generation mutation rate in the conifer Picea sitchensis

The rates and biological significance of somatic mutations have long been a subject of debate. Somatic mutations in plants are expected to accumulate with vegetative growth and time, yet rates of somatic mutations are unknown for conifers, which can reach exceptional sizes and ages. We investigated somatic mutation rates in the conifer Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) by analyzing a total of 276 Gb of nuclear DNA from the tops and bottoms of 20 old‐growth trees averaging 76 m in height. We estimate a somatic base substitution rate of 2.7 × 10⁻⁸ per base pair within a generation. To date, this is one of the highest estimated per‐generation rates of mutation among eukaryotes, indicating that somatic mutations contribute substantially to the total per‐generation mutation rate in conifers. Nevertheless, as the sampled trees are centuries old, the per‐year rate is low in comparison with nontree taxa. We argue that although somatic mutations raise genetic load in conifers, they generate important genetic variation and enable selection both among cell lineages within individual trees and among offspring.

Explaining the larger seed bank of an invasive shrub in non-native versus native environments by differences in seed predation and plant size

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Large, persistent seed banks contribute to the invasiveness of non-native plants, and maternal plant size is an important contributory factor. We explored the relationships between plant vegetative size (V) and soil seed bank size (S) for the invasive shrub Ulex europaeus in its native range and in non-native populations, and identified which other factors may contribute to seed bank variation between native and invaded regions.

METHODS

We compared the native region (France) with two regions where Ulex is invasive, one with seed predators introduced for biological control (New Zealand) and another where seed predators are absent (La Réunion). We quantified seed bank size, plant dimensions, seed predation and soil fertility for six stands in each of the three regions.

KEY RESULTS

Seed banks were 9-14 times larger in the two invaded regions compared to native France. We found a positive relationship between current seed bank size and actual plant size, and that any deviation from this relationship was probably due to large differences in seed predation and/or soil fertility. We further identified three possible factors explaining larger seed banks in non-native environments: larger maternal plant size, lower activity of seed predators and higher soil fertility.

CONCLUSIONS

In highlighting a positive relationship between maternal plant size and seed bank size, and identifying additional factors that regulate soil seed bank dynamics in non-native ranges, our data offer a number of opportunities for invasive weed control. For non-native Ulex populations specifically, management focusing on 'S' (i.e. the reduction of the seed bank by stimulating germination, or the introduction of seed predators as biological control agents) and/or on 'V' (i.e. by cutting mature stands to reduce maternal plant biomass) offers the most probable combination of effective control options.

Insect outbreak shifts the direction of selection from fast to slow growth rates in the long-lived conifer Pinus ponderosa

Long generation times limit species' rapid evolution to changing environments. Trees provide critical global ecosystem services, but are under increasing risk of mortality because of climate change-mediated disturbances, such as insect outbreaks. The extent to which disturbance changes the dynamics and strength of selection is unknown, but has important implications on the evolutionary potential of tree populations. Using a 40-y-old Pinus ponderosa genetic experiment, we provide rare evidence of context-dependent fluctuating selection on growth rates over time in a long-lived species. Fast growth was selected at juvenile stages, whereas slow growth was selected at mature stages under strong herbivory caused by a mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak. Such opposing forces led to no net evolutionary response over time, thus providing a mechanism for the maintenance of genetic diversity on growth rates. Greater survival to mountain pine beetle attack in slow-growing families reflected, in part, a host-based life-history trade-off. Contrary to expectations, genetic effects on tree survival were greatest at the peak of the outbreak and pointed to complex defense responses. Our results suggest that selection forces in tree populations may be more relevant than previously thought, and have implications for tree population responses to future environments and for tree breeding programs.

A simple model for pollen-parent fecundity distributions in bee-pollinated forage legume polycrosses

A simple Weibull distribution based empirical model that predicts pollen-parent fecundity distributions based on polycross size alone has been developed in outbred forage legume species for incorporation into quantitative genetic theory. Random mating or panmixis is a fundamental assumption in quantitative genetic theory. Random mating is sometimes thought to occur in actual fact, although a large body of empirical work shows that this is often not the case in nature. Models have been developed to explain many non-random mating phenomena. This paper measured pollen-parent fecundity distributions among outbred perennial forage legume species [autotetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), autohexaploid kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.), and diploid red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)] in ten polycrosses ranging in size (N) from 9 to 94 pollinated with bee pollinators [Bumble Bees (Bombus impatiens Cr.) and leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata F.)]. A Weibull distribution best fit the observed pollen-parent fecundity distributions. After standardizing data among the 10 polycrosses, a single Weibull distribution-based model was obtained with an R (2) of 0.978. The model is able to predict pollen-parent fecundity distributions based on polycross size alone. The model predicts that the effective polycross size will be approximately 9 % smaller than under random mating (i.e., N e/N ~ 0.91). The model is simple and can easily be incorporated into other models or simulations requiring a pollen-parent fecundity distribution. Further work is needed to determine how widely applicable the model is.

Can elevated CO2 and ozone shift the genetic composition of aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands?

The world's forests are currently exposed to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3). Both pollutants can potentially exert a selective effect on plant populations. This, in turn, may lead to changes in ecosystem properties, such as carbon sequestration. Here, we report how elevated CO2 and O3 affect the genetic composition of a woody plant population via altered survival. Using data from the Aspen free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment (in which aspen clones were grown in factorial combinations of CO2 and O3), we develop a hierarchical Bayesian model of survival. We also examine how survival differences between clones could affect pollutant responses in the next generation. Our model predicts that the relative abundance of the tested clones, given equal initial abundance, would shift under either elevated CO2 or O3 as a result of changing survival rates. Survival was strongly affected by between-clone differences in growth responses. Selection could noticeably decrease O3 sensitivity in the next generation, depending on the heritability of growth responses and the distribution of seed production. The response to selection by CO2, however, is likely to be small. Our results suggest that the changing atmospheric composition could shift the genotypic composition and average pollutant responses of tree populations over moderate timescales.

Genetic differentiation for size at first reproduction through male versus female functions in the widespread Mediterranean tree Pinus pinaster

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The study of local adaptation in plant reproductive traits has received substantial attention in short-lived species, but studies conducted on forest trees are scarce. This lack of research on long-lived species represents an important gap in our knowledge, because inferences about selection on the reproduction and life history of short-lived species cannot necessarily be extrapolated to trees. This study considers whether the size for first reproduction is locally adapted across a broad geographical range of the Mediterranean conifer species Pinus pinaster. In particular, the study investigates whether this monoecious species varies genetically among populations in terms of whether individuals start to reproduce through their male function, their female function or both sexual functions simultaneously. Whether differences among populations could be attributed to local adaptation across a climatic gradient is then considered.

METHODS

Male and female reproduction and growth were measured during early stages of sexual maturity of a P. pinaster common garden comprising 23 populations sampled across the species range. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess genetic variability of early reproductive life-history traits. Environmental correlations with reproductive life-history traits were tested after controlling for neutral genetic structure provided by 12 nuclear simple sequence repeat markers.

KEY RESULTS

Trees tended to reproduce first through their male function, at a size (height) that varied little among source populations. The transition to female reproduction was slower, showed higher levels of variability and was negatively correlated with vegetative growth traits. Several female reproductive traits were correlated with a gradient of growth conditions, even after accounting for neutral genetic structure, with populations from more unfavourable sites tending to commence female reproduction at a lower individual size.

CONCLUSIONS

The study represents the first report of genetic variability among populations for differences in the threshold size for first reproduction between male and female sexual functions in a tree species. The relatively uniform size at which individuals begin reproducing through their male function probably represents the fact that pollen dispersal is also relatively invariant among sites. However, the genetic variability in the timing of female reproduction probably reflects environment-dependent costs of cone production. The results also suggest that early sex allocation in this species might evolve under constraints that do not apply to other conifers.

Lognormal distribution of individual lifetime fecundity: insights from a 23-year study

Individual variance in lifetime fecundity within populations is a life-history parameter of crucial evolutionary and ecological significance. However, knowledge of its magnitude and underlying mechanisms in natural populations is biased toward short-lived taxa. This paper summarizes results of a 23-year study on a population of the Mediterranean shrub Lavandula latifolia. We document the within-population pattern of individual variation in instantaneous and lifetime fecundity (as estimated by inflorescence production) and explore the mechanisms producing the lognormal distribution of individual fecundities by means of an individual-based simulation model. Throughout the study period, a few individuals consistently produced most inflorescences while the majority of plants exhibited moderate-to-low fecundities. The shape of yearly distributions of annual fecundities varied little across years, and most annual fecundity distributions did not depart significantly from a lognormal. The distribution of individual lifetime fecundity did not depart from lognormality. Despite the simplicity of the premises of our simulation model, it was remarkably successful at predicting the shapes of fecundity distributions and the early establishment of a persistent fecundity hierarchy. The agreement between model results and empirical data supports the view that multiplicative interactions of randomly varying environmental effects can play a central role in determining individual variation in lifetime fecundity in L. latifolia, and suggests that environmental stochasticity can be decisive in the genesis of strong fecundity hierarchies in long-lived plants.

Impact of founder population, drift and selection on the genetic diversity of a recently translocated tree population

Recently established, temperate tree populations combine a high level of differentiation for adaptive traits, suggesting rapid genetic evolution, with a high level of genetic diversity within population, suggesting a limited impact of genetic drift and purifying selection. To study experimentally the evolutionary forces in a recently established population, we assessed the spatial and temporal patterns of genetic diversity within a disjunct population of Cedrus atlantica established 140 years ago in south-eastern France from a North African source. The population is expanding through natural regeneration. Three generations were sampled, including founder trees. We analysed 12 isozyme loci, three of which were previously found in tight association with selected genes, and quantitative traits. No bottleneck effect was detected in the founder generation, but a simple test of allelic association revealed an initial disequilibrium which disappeared in the following generations. The impact of genetic drift during secondary evolution was limited, as suggested by the weak temporal differentiation. The genetic load was not reduced after 3 generations, and the quantitative variation for adaptive traits did not change either. Thus, initial genetic changes first proceed from a rapid re-organisation of the diversity through mating and recombination, whereas genetic erosion through drift and selection is delayed due to temporal and spatial stochasticity. Two life-history traits of trees contribute to slowing down the processes of genetic erosion: perenniality and large spatial scale. Thus, one would expect recently established tree populations to have a higher diversity than older ones, which seems in accordance with experimental surveys.