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Schoen DJ, Speed D. The heritability of fitness in a wild annual plant population with hierarchical size structure. Evolution 2024; 78:1739-1745. [PMID: 39046460 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
The relative magnitude of additive genetic vs. residual variation for fitness traits is important in models for predicting the rate of evolution and population persistence in response to changes in the environment. In many annual plants, lifetime reproductive fitness is correlated with end-of-season plant biomass, which can vary significantly from plant to plant in the same population. We measured end-of-season plant biomasses and obtained single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes of plants in a dense, natural population of the annual plant species Impatiens capensis with hierarchical size structure. These data were used to estimate the amount of heritable variation for position in the size hierarchy and for plant biomass. Additive genetic variance for a position in the size hierarchy and plant biomass were both significantly different from zero. These results are discussed in relationship to the theory for the heritability of fitness in natural populations and ecological factors that potentially influence heritable variation for fitness in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Schoen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Doug Speed
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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2
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Westergren M, Archambeau J, Bajc M, Damjanić R, Theraroz A, Kraigher H, Oddou-Muratorio S, González-Martínez SC. Low but significant evolutionary potential for growth, phenology and reproduction traits in European beech. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37962106 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Local survival of forest tree populations under climate change depends on existing genetic variation and their adaptability to changing environments. Responses to selection were studied in European beech (Fagus sylvatica) under field conditions. A total of 1087 adult trees, seeds, 1-year-old seedlings and established multiyear saplings were genotyped with 16 nuSSRs. Adult trees were assessed for phenotypic traits related to growth, phenology and reproduction. Parentage and paternity analyses were used to estimate effective female and male fecundity as a proxy of fitness and showed that few parents contributed to successful regeneration. Selection gradients were estimated from the relationship between traits and fecundity, while heritability and evolvability were estimated using mixed models and the breeder's equation. Larger trees bearing more fruit and early male flowering had higher total fecundity, while trees with longer growth season had lower total fecundity (directional selection). Stabilizing selection on spring phenology was found for female fecundity, highlighting the role of late frosts as a selection driver. Selection gradients for other traits varied between measurement years and the offspring cohort used to estimate parental fecundity. Compared to other studies in natural populations, we found low to moderate heritability and evolvability for most traits. Response to selection was higher for growth than for budburst, leaf senescence or reproduction traits, reflecting more consistent selection gradients across years and sex functions, and higher phenotypic variability in the population. Our study provides empirical evidence suggesting that populations of long-lived organisms such as forest trees can adapt locally, even at short-time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marko Bajc
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Damjanić
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Sylvie Oddou-Muratorio
- INRAE, URFM, Avignon, France
- INRAE, Univ. de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, ECOBIOP, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, France
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3
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Pausas JG, Keeley JE. Evolutionary fire ecology: An historical account and future directions. Bioscience 2023; 73:602-608. [PMID: 37680689 PMCID: PMC10481411 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The idea that fire acts as an evolutionary force contributing to shaping species traits started a century ago, but had not been widely recognized until very recently. Among the first to realize this force were Edward B. Poulton, R. Dale Guthrie, and Edwin V. Komarek in animals and Willis L. Jepson, Walter W. Hough, Tom M. Harris, Philip V. Wells, and Robert W. Mutch in plants. They were all ahead of their time in their evolutionary thinking. Since then, evolutionary fire ecology has percolated very slowly into the mainstream ecology and evolutionary biology; in fact, this topic is still seldom mentioned in textbooks of ecology or evolution. Currently, there is plenty of evidence suggesting that we cannot understand the biodiversity of our planet without considering the key evolutionary role of fire. But there is still research to be done in order to fully understand fire's contribution to species evolution and to predicting species responses to rapid global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juli G Pausas
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Montcada, Spain
| | - Jon E Keeley
- Sequoia-Kings Canyon Field Station, at theWestern Ecological Research Center, US Geological Survey, Three Rivers, California, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
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4
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Castellanos MC, Montero-Pau J, Ziarsolo P, Blanca JM, Cañizares J, Pausas JG. Quantitative genetic analysis of floral traits shows current limits but potential evolution in the wild. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230141. [PMID: 37122252 PMCID: PMC10130720 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The vast variation in floral traits across angiosperms is often interpreted as the result of adaptation to pollinators. However, studies in wild populations often find no evidence of pollinator-mediated selection on flowers. Evolutionary theory predicts this could be the outcome of periods of stasis under stable conditions, followed by shorter periods of pollinator change that provide selection for innovative phenotypes. We asked if periods of stasis are caused by stabilizing selection, absence of other forms of selection or by low trait ability to respond even if selection is present. We studied a plant predominantly pollinated by one bee species across its range. We measured heritability and evolvability of traits, using genome-wide relatedness in a large wild population, and combined this with estimates of selection on the same individuals. We found evidence for both stabilizing selection and low trait heritability as potential explanations for stasis in flowers. The area of the standard petal is under stabilizing selection, but the variability is not heritable. A separate trait, floral weight, presents high heritability, but is not currently under selection. We show how a simple pollination environment coincides with the absence of current prerequisites for adaptive evolutionary change, while heritable variation remains to respond to future selection pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Clara Castellanos
- School of Life Sciences, Universityof Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
- CIDE-CSIC, Montcada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Javier Montero-Pau
- COMAV, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Peio Ziarsolo
- COMAV, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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5
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Romero B, Scotti I, Fady B, Ganteaume A. Fire frequency, as well as stress response and developmental gene control serotiny level variation in a widespread pioneer Mediterranean conifer, Pinus halepensis. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9919. [PMID: 36960240 PMCID: PMC10030233 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Many plants undergo adaptation to fire. Yet, as global change is increasing fire frequency worldwide, our understanding of the genetics of adaptation to fire is still limited. We studied the genetic basis of serotiny (the ability to disseminate seeds exclusively after fire) in the widespread, pioneer Mediterranean conifer Pinus halepensis Mill., by linking individual variation in serotiny presence and level to fire frequency and to genetic polymorphism in natural populations. After filtering steps, 885 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) out of 8000 SNPs used for genotyping were implemented to perform an in situ association study between genotypes and serotiny presence and level. To identify serotiny-associated loci, we performed random forest analyses of the effect of SNPs on serotiny levels, while controlling for tree size, frequency of wildfires, and background environmental parameters. Serotiny showed a bimodal distribution, with serotinous trees more frequent in populations exposed to fire in their recent history. Twenty-two SNPs found in genes involved in stress tolerance were associated with the presence-absence of serotiny while 37 found in genes controlling for flowering were associated with continuous serotiny variation. This study shows the high potential of P. halepensis to adapt to changing fire regimes, benefiting from a large and flexible genetic basis of trait variation.
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6
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Pelletier E, de Lafontaine G. Jack pine of all trades: Deciphering intraspecific variability of a key adaptive trait at the rear edge of a widespread fire-embracing North American conifer. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16111. [PMID: 36462149 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding mechanisms fostering long-term persistence of marginal populations should provide key insights about species resilience facing climate change. Cone serotiny is a key adaptive trait in Pinus banksiana (jack pine), which shows phenotypic variation according to the fire regime. Compared to range-core populations within the fire-prone boreal forest, low and variable serotiny in rear-edge populations suggest local adaptation to uncommon and unpredictable wildfire regime. We assessed environmental/physiological factors that might modulate intraspecific variation in cone serotiny. METHODS We experimentally subjected closed cones to incrementing temperatures, then tested seed germination to determine whether and how various ecological factors (cone age, branch height, tree size, tree age) are related to cone dehiscence and seed viability in jack pines from rear-edge and range-core populations in eastern Canada. RESULTS Cones from rear-edge populations dehisce at a lower opening temperature, which increases with cone age. Cones from range-core stands open at a more constant, yet higher temperature. Cones from rear-edge stands take between 13 and 27 years to reach the level of serotiny achieved at the range core. At the rear edge, seed viability is steady (51%), whereas it decreases from 70% to 30% in 20 years at the range core. CONCLUSIONS We inferred the mechanisms of a bet-hedging strategy in rear-edge populations, which ensures steady recruitment during fire-free intervals and successful postfire regeneration. This capacity to cope with infrequent and unpredictable fire regime should increase the resilience of jack pine populations as global changes alter fire dynamics of the boreal forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Pelletier
- Canada Research Chair in Integrative Biology of the Northern Flora, Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Centre for Northern Studies, Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Guillaume de Lafontaine
- Canada Research Chair in Integrative Biology of the Northern Flora, Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Centre for Northern Studies, Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
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7
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Kelly LT, Giljohann KM, Duane A, Aquilué N, Archibald S, Batllori E, Bennett AF, Buckland ST, Canelles Q, Clarke MF, Fortin MJ, Hermoso V, Herrando S, Keane RE, Lake FK, McCarthy MA, Morán-Ordóñez A, Parr CL, Pausas JG, Penman TD, Regos A, Rumpff L, Santos JL, Smith AL, Syphard AD, Tingley MW, Brotons L. Fire and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Science 2021; 370:370/6519/eabb0355. [PMID: 33214246 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fire has been a source of global biodiversity for millions of years. However, interactions with anthropogenic drivers such as climate change, land use, and invasive species are changing the nature of fire activity and its impacts. We review how such changes are threatening species with extinction and transforming terrestrial ecosystems. Conservation of Earth's biological diversity will be achieved only by recognizing and responding to the critical role of fire. In the Anthropocene, this requires that conservation planning explicitly includes the combined effects of human activities and fire regimes. Improved forecasts for biodiversity must also integrate the connections among people, fire, and ecosystems. Such integration provides an opportunity for new actions that could revolutionize how society sustains biodiversity in a time of changing fire activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T Kelly
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | | | - Andrea Duane
- InForest JRU (CTFC-CREAF), 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain
| | - Núria Aquilué
- InForest JRU (CTFC-CREAF), 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain.,Centre d'Étude de la Forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Sally Archibald
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Natural Resources and the Environment, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Enric Batllori
- CREAF, Edifici C. Autonomous, University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrew F Bennett
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Stephen T Buckland
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, UK
| | - Quim Canelles
- InForest JRU (CTFC-CREAF), 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain
| | - Michael F Clarke
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Marie-Josée Fortin
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | | | - Sergi Herrando
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, 08019 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Robert E Keane
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT 59808, USA
| | - Frank K Lake
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Michael A McCarthy
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | | | - Catherine L Parr
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Earth, Ocean & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Juli G Pausas
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE-CSIC), 46113 Montcada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Trent D Penman
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Adrián Regos
- Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Fisica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,CIBIO/InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, ECOCHANGE Group, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Libby Rumpff
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Julianna L Santos
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Annabel L Smith
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, Australia.,Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Alexandra D Syphard
- Vertus Wildfire, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA.,San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.,Conservation Biology Institute, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lluís Brotons
- InForest JRU (CTFC-CREAF), 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain.,CREAF, Edifici C. Autonomous, University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Research Council (CSIC), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Pausas JG, Su W, Luo C, Shen Z. A shrubby resprouting pine with serotinous cones endemic to southwest China. Ecology 2021; 102:e03282. [PMID: 33427309 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenhua Su
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Caifang Luo
- College of Urban and Environmental Science, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zehao Shen
- College of Urban and Environmental Science, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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9
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Alexandre H, Truffaut L, Klein E, Ducousso A, Chancerel E, Lesur I, Dencausse B, Louvet J, Nepveu G, Torres‐Ruiz JM, Lagane F, Musch B, Delzon S, Kremer A. How does contemporary selection shape oak phenotypes? Evol Appl 2020; 13:2772-2790. [PMID: 33294022 PMCID: PMC7691464 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Most existing forests are subjected to natural and human-mediated selection pressures, which have increased due to climate change and the increasing needs of human societies for wood, fibre and fuel resources. It remains largely unknown how these pressures trigger evolutionary changes. We address this issue here for temperate European oaks (Quercus petraea and Q. robur), which grow in mixed stands, under even-aged management regimes. We screened numerous functional traits for univariate selection gradients and for expected and observed genetic changes over two successive generations. In both species, growth, leaf morphology and physiology, and defence-related traits displayed significant selection gradients and predicted shifts, whereas phenology, water metabolism, structure and resilience-related traits did not. However, the direction of the selection response and the potential for adaptive evolution differed between the two species. Quercus petraea had a much larger phenotypic and genetic variance of fitness than Q. robur. This difference raises concerns about the adaptive response of Q. robur to contemporary selection pressures. Our investigations suggest that Q. robur will probably decline steadily, particularly in mixed stands with Q. petraea, consistent with the contrasting demographic dynamics of the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - José M. Torres‐Ruiz
- INRAEUniversity of BordeauxBIOGECOCestasFrance
- INRAEUniversity of Clermont‐AuvergnePIAFClermont‐FerrandFrance
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10
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Pérez-Izquierdo L, Zabal-Aguirre M, Verdú M, Buée M, Rincón A. Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity decreases in Mediterranean pine forests adapted to recurrent fires. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2463-2476. [PMID: 32500559 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Fire is a major disturbance linked to the evolutionary history and climate of Mediterranean ecosystems, where the vegetation has evolved fire-adaptive traits (e.g., serotiny in pines). In Mediterranean forests, mutualistic feedbacks between trees and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, essential for ecosystem dynamics, might be shaped by recurrent fires. We tested how the structure and function of ECM fungal communities of Pinus pinaster and Pinus halepensis vary among populations subjected to high and low fire recurrence in Mediterranean ecosystems, and analysed the relative contribution of environmental (climate, soil properties) and tree-mediated (serotiny) factors. For both pines, local and regional ECM fungal diversity were lower in areas of high than low fire recurrence, although certain fungal species were favoured in the former. A general decline of ECM root-tip enzymatic activity for P. pinaster was associated with high fire recurrence, but not for P. halepensis. Fire recurrence and fire-related factors such as climate, soil properties or tree phenotype explained these results. In addition to the main influence of climate, the tree fire-adaptive trait serotiny recovered a great portion of the variation in structure and function of ECM fungal communities associated with fire recurrence. Edaphic conditions (especially pH, tightly linked to bedrock type) were an important driver shaping ECM fungal communities, but mainly at the local scale and probably independently of the fire recurrence. Our results show that ECM fungal community shifts are associated with fire recurrence in fire-prone dry Mediterranean forests, and reveal complex feedbacks among trees, mutualistic fungi and the surrounding environment in these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marc Buée
- INRA, UMR1136 INRA Nancy - Université de Lorraine, Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes Labex ARBRE, Champenoux, France
| | - Ana Rincón
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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11
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Alexandre H, Truffaut L, Ducousso A, Louvet JM, Nepveu G, Torres-Ruiz JM, Lagane F, Firmat C, Musch B, Delzon S, Kremer A. In situ estimation of genetic variation of functional and ecological traits in Quercus petraea and Q.robur. TREE GENETICS & GENOMES 2020; 16:32. [PMID: 32256274 PMCID: PMC7136077 DOI: 10.1007/s11295-019-1407-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predicting the evolutionary potential of natural tree populations requires the estimation of heritability and genetic correlations among traits on which selection acts, as differences in evolutionary success between species may rely on differences for these genetic parameters. In situ estimates are expected to be more accurate than measures done under controlled conditions which do not reflect the natural environmental variance. AIMS The aim of the current study was to estimate three genetic parameters (i.e. heritability, evolvability and genetic correlations) in a natural mixed oak stand composed of Quercus petraea and Quercus robur about 100 years old, for 58 traits of ecological and functional relevance (growth, reproduction, phenology, physiology, resilience, structure, morphology and defence). METHODS First we estimated genetic parameters directly in situ using realized genomic relatedness of adult trees and parentage relationships over two generations to estimate the traits additive variance. Secondly, we benefited from existing ex situ experiments (progeny tests and conservation collection) installed with the same populations, thus allowing comparisons of in situ heritability estimates with more traditional methods. RESULTS Heritability and evolvability estimates obtained with different methods varied substantially and showed large confidence intervals, however we found that in situ were less precise than ex situ estimates, and assessments over two generations (with deeper relatedness) improved estimates of heritability while large sampling sizes are needed for accurate estimations. At the biological level, heritability values varied moderately across different ecological and functional categories of traits, and genetic correlations among traits were conserved over the two species. CONCLUSION We identified limits for using realized genomic relatedness in natural stands to estimate the genetic variance, given the overall low variance of genetic relatedness and the rather low sampling sizes of currently used long term genetic plots in forestry. These limits can be overcome if larger sample sizes are considered, or if the approach is extended over the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - José M. Torres-Ruiz
- BIOGECO, INRA, Univ. Bordeaux, 33610 Cestas, France
- PIAF, Univ. Clermont-Auvergne, INRA, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Cyril Firmat
- BIOGECO, INRA, Univ. Bordeaux, 33610 Cestas, France
- URP3F, INRA, 86600 Lusignan, France
| | - Brigitte Musch
- BIOFORA, INRA, ONF, CS 40001 Ardon 45075 Orléans Cedex 2, France
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12
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He T, Lamont BB, Pausas JG. Fire as a key driver of Earth's biodiversity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1983-2010. [PMID: 31298472 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Many terrestrial ecosystems are fire prone, such that their composition and structure are largely due to their fire regime. Regions subject to regular fire have exceptionally high levels of species richness and endemism, and fire has been proposed as a major driver of their diversity, within the context of climate, resource availability and environmental heterogeneity. However, current fire-management practices rarely take into account the ecological and evolutionary roles of fire in maintaining biodiversity. Here, we focus on the mechanisms that enable fire to act as a major ecological and evolutionary force that promotes and maintains biodiversity over numerous spatiotemporal scales. From an ecological perspective, the vegetation, topography and local weather conditions during a fire generate a landscape with spatial and temporal variation in fire-related patches (pyrodiversity), and these produce the biotic and environmental heterogeneity that drives biodiversity across local and regional scales. There have been few empirical tests of the proposition that 'pyrodiversity begets biodiversity' but we show that biodiversity should peak at moderately high levels of pyrodiversity. Overall species richness is greatest immediately after fire and declines monotonically over time, with postfire successional pathways dictated by animal habitat preferences and varying lifespans among resident plants. Theory and data support the 'intermediate disturbance hypothesis' when mean patch species diversity is correlated with mean fire intervals. Postfire persistence, recruitment and immigration allow species with different life histories to coexist. From an evolutionary perspective, fire drives population turnover and diversification by promoting a wide range of adaptive responses to particular fire regimes. Among 39 comparisons, the number of species in 26 fire-prone lineages is much higher than that in their non-fire-prone sister lineages. Fire and its byproducts may have direct mutagenic effects, producing novel genotypes that can lead to trait innovation and even speciation. A paradigm shift aimed at restoring biodiversity-maintaining fire regimes across broad landscapes is required among the fire research and management communities. This will require ecologists and other professionals to spread the burgeoning fire-science knowledge beyond scientific publications to the broader public, politicians and media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhua He
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Byron B Lamont
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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13
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Avanzi C, Piermattei A, Piotti A, Büntgen U, Heer K, Opgenoorth L, Spanu I, Urbinati C, Vendramin GG, Leonardi S. Disentangling the effects of spatial proximity and genetic similarity on individual growth performances in Norway spruce natural populations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:493-504. [PMID: 30199693 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cambial growth is a phenotypic trait influenced by various physiological processes, numerous biotic and abiotic drivers, as well as by the genetic background. By archiving the outcome of such complex interplay, tree-rings are an exceptional resource for addressing individual long-term growth responses to changing environments and climate. Disentangling the effects of the different drivers of tree growth, however, remains challenging because of the lack of multidisciplinary data. Here, we combine individual dendrochronological, genetic and spatial data to assess the relative importance of genetic similarity and spatial proximity on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) growth performances. We intensively sampled five plots from two populations in southern and central Europe, characterizing a total of 482 trees. A two-step analytical framework was developed. First, the effects of climate and tree age on tree-ring width (TRW) were estimated for each individual using a random slope linear mixed-effects model. Individual parameters were then tested against genetic and spatial variables by Mantel tests, partial redundancy analyses and variance partitioning. Our modelling approach successfully captured a large fraction of variance in TRW (conditional R2 values up to 0.94) which was largely embedded in inter-individual differences. All statistical approaches consistently showed that genetic similarity was not related to variation in the individual parameters describing growth responses. In contrast, up to 29% of the variance of individual parameters was accounted by spatial variables, revealing that microenvironmental features are more relevant than genetic similarity in determining similar growth patterns. Our study highlights both the advantages of modelling dendrochronological data at the individual level and the relevance of microenvironmental variation on individual growth patterns. These two aspects should be carefully considered in future multidisciplinary studies on growth dynamics in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Avanzi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Alma Piermattei
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, CB2 3EN Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea Piotti
- National Research Council, Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy.
| | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, CB2 3EN Cambridge, United Kingdom; Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Czech Globe, Global Change Research Institute CAS and Masaryk University, Kotlárská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Katrin Heer
- Conservation Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Lars Opgenoorth
- Department of Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Ilaria Spanu
- National Research Council, Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy.
| | - Carlo Urbinati
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin
- National Research Council, Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy.
| | - Stefano Leonardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
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García Y, Clara Castellanos M, Pausas JG. Differential pollinator response underlies plant reproductive resilience after fires. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 122:961-971. [PMID: 29982299 PMCID: PMC6266102 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Assessing the resilience of plant-animal interactions is critical to understanding how plant communities respond to habitat disturbances. Most ecosystems experience some level of natural disturbance (e.g. wildfires) to which many organisms are adapted. Wildfires have structured biotic communities for millennia; however, the effects of fire on interactions such as pollination have only recently received attention. A few studies have shown that generalist plants can buffer the impact of fires by pollinator replacement, suggesting that the resilience to disturbance could depend on the level of specialization of the interactions. Here, we hypothesize that (1) fires could impose negative effects on plants with specialized pollination systems, and (2) in large wildfires, these negative effects will be stronger with increasing distance inside the burnt area because pollinators will need more time to recolonize. METHODS These questions were tested in the specialized pollination system of a widespread Mediterranean palm, Chamaerops humilis. The post-fire pollination resilience was assessed in replicated wildfires representing three post-fire ages by measuring the abundance of beetle pollinators and by estimating fruit set (i.e. the proportion of flowers setting fruits) in burnt and unburnt areas. To test for distance effects, plants were sampled along transects inside the burnt area. KEY RESULTS Despite a marked post-fire decline in the specialist pollinator, exacerbated by the distance from the fire's edge, the palm's fruit set was barely affected. The temporary replacement by a sap beetle at burnt sites - an effective pollinator that had not been previously recognized - provided post-fire reproductive resilience. CONCLUSIONS Differential pollinator responses to disturbance can ensure plant success even in plants with only two functionally similar pollinators. This highlights the importance of pollinator replacement and dynamics for the resilience of interactions and ultimately of plant reproduction in disturbance-prone ecosystems.
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Lesur I, Alexandre H, Boury C, Chancerel E, Plomion C, Kremer A. Development of Target Sequence Capture and Estimation of Genomic Relatedness in a Mixed Oak Stand. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:996. [PMID: 30057586 PMCID: PMC6053538 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Anticipating the evolutionary responses of long-lived organisms, such as trees, to environmental changes, requires the assessment of genetic variation of adaptive traits in natural populations. To this end, high-density markers are needed to calculate genomic relatedness between individuals allowing to estimate the genetic variance of traits in wild populations. We designed a targeted capture-based, next-generation sequencing assay based on the highly heterozygous pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) reference genome, for the sequencing of 3 Mb of genic and intergenic regions. Using a mixed stand of 293 Q. robur and Q. petraea genotypes we successfully captured over 97% of the target sequences, corresponding to 0.39% of the oak genome, with sufficient depth (97×) for the detection of about 190,000 SNPs evenly spread over the targeted regions. We validated the technique by evaluating its reproducibility, and comparing the genomic relatedness of trees with their known pedigree relationship. We explored the use of the technique on other related species and highlighted the advantages and limitations of this approach. We found that 92.07% of target sequences in Q. suber and 70.36% of sequences in Fagus sylvatica were captured. We used this SNP resource to estimate genetic relatedness in the mixed oak stand. Mean pairwise genetic relatedness was low within each species with a few values exceeding 0.25 (half-sibs) or 0.5 (full-sibs). Finally, we applied the technique to a long-standing issue in population genetics of trees regarding the relationship between inbreeding and components of fitness. We found very weak signals for inbreeding depression for reproductive success and no signal for growth within both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Lesur
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
- HelixVenture, Mérignac, France
- *Correspondence: Isabelle Lesur,
| | - Hermine Alexandre
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Christophe Boury
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Emilie Chancerel
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Christophe Plomion
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Antoine Kremer
- INRA, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, Université Bordeaux, Pessac, France
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16
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Martín-Sanz RC, Callejas-Díaz M, Tonnabel J, Climent JM. Maintenance costs of serotiny in a variably serotinous pine: The role of water supply. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181648. [PMID: 28732015 PMCID: PMC5521817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotiny is an important adaptation for plants in fire-prone environments. However, different mechanisms also induce the opening of serotinous cones in the absence of fire in variably serotinous species. Xeriscence -cone opening driven by dry and hot conditions- is considered to be mediated only by the external environment, but endogenous factors could also play a significant role. Using the variably serotinous Pinus halepensis as our model species, we determined the effects of cone age and scales density in cone opening, and using in-situ and ex-situ manipulative experiments we investigated the role of water availability in the opening of serotinous cones. We hypothesized that loss of connection between the cones and the branch through the peduncles or the absence of water supply could induce a faster cone opening. Results showed that older cones lost more water and opened at lower temperatures, with no influence of scales density. Both field and chamber manipulative experiments (using paired cones of the same whorl) confirmed that water intake through the peduncles affected significantly the pace of cone opening, such that lack of water supply speeded up cone dehiscence. However, this was true for weakly serotinous provenances—more common in this species—, while highly serotinous provenances were indifferent to this effect in the field test. All our results support that cone serotiny in P. halepensis involves the allocation of water to the cones, which is highly consistent with the previously observed environmental effects. Importantly, the existence of maintenance costs of serotinous cones has strong implications on the effects of climate change in the resilience of natural populations, via modifications of the canopy seed banks and recruitment after stand-replacing fires. Moreover, evolutionary models for serotiny in P. halepensis must take into account the significant contribution of maintenance costs to the complex interaction between genotype and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth C. Martín-Sanz
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Madrid, Spain
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (University of Valladolid-National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology), Palencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Marta Callejas-Díaz
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - José M. Climent
- Department of Forest Ecology and Genetics, Forest Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Madrid, Spain
- Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (University of Valladolid-National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology), Palencia, Spain
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Bontemps A, Lefèvre F, Davi H, Oddou-Muratorio S. In situ marker-based assessment of leaf trait evolutionary potential in a marginal European beech population. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:514-27. [PMID: 26679342 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary processes are expected to be crucial for the adaptation of natural populations to environmental changes. In particular, the capacity of rear edge populations to evolve in response to the species limiting conditions remains a major issue that requires to address their evolutionary potential. In situ quantitative genetic studies based on molecular markers offer the possibility to estimate evolutionary potentials manipulating neither the environment nor the individuals on which phenotypes are measured. The goal of this study was to estimate heritability and genetic correlations of a suite of leaf functional traits involved in climate adaptation for a natural population of the tree Fagus sylvatica, growing at the rear edge of the species range. Using two marker-based quantitative genetics approaches, we obtained consistent and significant estimates of heritability for leaf phenological (phenology of leaf flush), morphological (mass, area, ratio mass/area) and physiological (δ(13)C, nitrogen content) traits. Moreover, we found only one significant positive genetic correlation between leaf area and leaf mass, which likely reflected mechanical constraints. We conclude first that the studied population has considerable genetic diversity for important ecophysiological traits regarding drought adaptation and, second, that genetic correlations are not likely to impose strong genetic constraints to future population evolution. Our results bring important insights into the question of the capacity of rear edge populations to evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bontemps
- INRA, UR629 Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, URFM, Avignon, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - F Lefèvre
- INRA, UR629 Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, URFM, Avignon, France
| | - H Davi
- INRA, UR629 Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, URFM, Avignon, France
| | - S Oddou-Muratorio
- INRA, UR629 Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, URFM, Avignon, France
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