forest genetic diversity – fuel for...
TRANSCRIPT
Forest Genetic Diversity – Fuel for Adaptation?
Thomas Geburek
Department of Genetics
Federal Forest Research Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape
Vienna, Austria
The pyramids of Giza built in Egypt 4700 years ago.
One of the longest living organisms on earth aretrees !
Longevity entails temporal environmental heterogeneity.
A single tree species often occupies an extended natural range.
Pinus sylvestris
spatial environmental heterogeneity
Trees have two options in view of climate change:
(1) Physiological adaptation (acclimation) at the individual level[internal self-regulating mechanisms and epigenetic effects, the more genetic variants the better]
(2) Evolutionary change at the population level
[change of genetic information mainly through selection, stochastic effects, and transfer of genetic material, the more genetic variants the better]
Wagner et al. 1996, PNAS
Physiological adaptation
Bossdorf et al. 2008, Ecol. Letters
Epigenetic effects in forest trees = environmental imprint on genes
Physiological adaptation
Population „blue“
Population „red“
The intraspecific (=genetic) variation of many tree species is serendipitously enormous and often underestimated.
Within in a tree species populations or races may exit which thrive best in a certain environment while others of the same tree species cannot survive facing the same environmental conditions!
Geographical variation of budset in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Full line = Number of frost free days
Dashed line = Percentage of seedlings with buds early September in a Hungarian provenance trials
Matyas 1996, Euphytica
Evolutionary relevant variation is primarily shaped by photoperiod and thermal (climatic) parameters.
Namroud et al. 2008, Mol. Ecol.
The molecular approach:Forest genetics on the run!
Genome wide scanning of adaptive genes in different tree species in order to detect the molecular basis of adaptation.
Wmax VW
VW
T
Ada
ptat
ion
Time
Increase the genetic base of EU forests for adaptation!
Unfortunately we do not know much about our biological production factors, i.e. genetic resources of EU forests!
But how?
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Acer p
seudo
platan
usFraxin
us ex
celsio
rQue
rcus p
etraea
Quercu
s rob
urAlnu
s inc
ana
Tilia co
rdata
Prunus
avium
Carpinu
s betu
lus
We do not know to what extent forest reproductive material is moved in the EU, where it is used and which economic and ecological consequences this might entail!
Proportion of foreign to total FRM in Austria
Also simple records may help !
Natural and artificial range
Also simple records may help !
Glaciation records
X (Southern edge)
454443
4241
4039
3837
3635
3433
3231
3029
2827
262524
2322
2120
1918
1716
1514
131211
109
876
54
321
Y (Eastern edge)
5048
4644
4240
3836
3432
3028
2624
2220
1816
1412
108
6
‚Genetic landscape‘ of spruce in Austria Preliminary genetic risk map in Austria
‚Genetic risk maps‘ might be important for EU member states!
However, sophisticated records are better !
For our round table discussion
Genetic assessment (risk and potential) of European forests in view of climate change and increasing demands for renewable resources
(1) Tracking down of historical and recent seed and plant transfers
(2) Assessment of adaptive genetic variation
(3) Monitoring the use of FRM in Europe
(4) Enhancing the genetic quality of FRM in Europe classical and molecular breedingharmonization of requirements of basic FRM
(5) Predicting the productivity at a European scale
Hopefully the missing card that destabilizes biodiversity of EU forests is not „genetic diversity“!
Non-plastic
Plastic (non-linear)Plastic (linear)
Environmental range (e.g. temperature )
Phen
otyp
e(e
.g. g
row
th)
Plastic (linear)
million cbm/year
Nearly 20 % increase of productivity is expected to be due to genetic tree improvement in Sweden till 2100.