TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic conservation and management of the California endemic, Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana Parry)
T2 - Implications of genetic rescue in a genetically depauperate species
AU - Hamilton, Jill A.
AU - Royauté, Raphaël
AU - Wright, Jessica W.
AU - Hodgskiss, Paul
AU - Ledig, F. Thomas
N1 - Funding Information:
This manuscript builds upon a wonderful common garden experiment established by the late Dr. F. T. Ledig (1938–2015) whose foresight and innovative approaches to forest conservation genetics and management have provided a legacy that will span generations. We also particularly want to acknowledge Linda Lux, for her assistance with fieldwork, comments on the manuscript, and her efforts to see Tom’s legacy live on through this work. We thank Annie Mix for assistance in glasshouse management; Dave Johnson and Roger Stutts for assistance establishing the common garden trial and providing morphological measurements; and Lionel di Santo, Tyler Stadel, and Alexis Pearson for field assistance. We particularly thank Matt Guilliams for logistical support at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and John and Martha Gabbert for their support of this research. This work was supported by the USDA-Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station and a New Faculty award from the office of the North Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2017/9
Y1 - 2017/9
N2 - Rare species present a challenge under changing environmental conditions as the genetic consequences of rarity may limit species ability to adapt to environmental change. To evaluate the evolutionary potential of a rare species, we assessed variation in traits important to plant fitness using multigenerational common garden experiments. Torrey pine, Pinus torreyana Parry, is one of the rarest pines in the world, restricted to one mainland and one island population. Morphological differentiation between island and mainland populations suggests adaptation to local environments may have contributed to trait variation. The distribution of phenotypic variances within the common garden suggests distinct population-specific growth trajectories underlay genetic differences, with the island population exhibiting substantially reduced genetic variance for growth relative to the mainland population. Furthermore, F1 hybrids, representing a cross between mainland and island trees, exhibit increased height accumulation and fecundity relative to mainland and island parents. This may indicate genetic rescue via intraspecific hybridization could provide the necessary genetic variation to persist in environments modified as a result of climate change. Long-term common garden experiments, such as these, provide invaluable resources to assess the distribution of genetic variance that may inform conservation strategies to preserve evolutionary potential of rare species, including genetic rescue.
AB - Rare species present a challenge under changing environmental conditions as the genetic consequences of rarity may limit species ability to adapt to environmental change. To evaluate the evolutionary potential of a rare species, we assessed variation in traits important to plant fitness using multigenerational common garden experiments. Torrey pine, Pinus torreyana Parry, is one of the rarest pines in the world, restricted to one mainland and one island population. Morphological differentiation between island and mainland populations suggests adaptation to local environments may have contributed to trait variation. The distribution of phenotypic variances within the common garden suggests distinct population-specific growth trajectories underlay genetic differences, with the island population exhibiting substantially reduced genetic variance for growth relative to the mainland population. Furthermore, F1 hybrids, representing a cross between mainland and island trees, exhibit increased height accumulation and fecundity relative to mainland and island parents. This may indicate genetic rescue via intraspecific hybridization could provide the necessary genetic variation to persist in environments modified as a result of climate change. Long-term common garden experiments, such as these, provide invaluable resources to assess the distribution of genetic variance that may inform conservation strategies to preserve evolutionary potential of rare species, including genetic rescue.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85021733976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85021733976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ece3.3306
DO - 10.1002/ece3.3306
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85021733976
VL - 7
SP - 7370
EP - 7381
JO - Ecology and Evolution
JF - Ecology and Evolution
SN - 2045-7758
IS - 18
ER -