Correction methods for shadow-band diffuse irradiance measurements:assessing the impact of local adaptation

Northern range margin populations of the European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) and Southern Sweden, this decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome-wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after presumed illegal release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (as a proxy for fitness) of introgressed and non-introgressed populations, and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition. We observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency towards higher body weight, relative to regional non-introgressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and non-introgressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than southern populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of struggling range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.

Download Full-text

Founder effects drive the genetic structure of passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates

10.7287/peerj.preprints.3254 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Javier Montero-Pau ◽

Africa Gomez ◽

Manuel Serra

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Population Growth ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Growth Rates ◽

High Population ◽

Founder Effects ◽

Population Growth Rates ◽

High Population Growth ◽

The Impact

Populations of passively dispersed organisms in continental aquatic habitats typically show high levels of neutral genetic differentiation, despite their high dispersal capabilities. Several evolutionary factors, including founder events and local adaptation, and life cycle features such as high population growth rates and the presence of propagule banks, have been proposed to be responsible for this paradox. Here, we have modeled the colonization process in these organisms to assess the impact of migration rate, growth rate, population size, local adaptation and life-cycle features on their population genetic structure. Our simulation results show that the strongest effect on population structure is caused by persistent founder effects, resulting from the interaction of a few population founders, high population growth rates, large population sizes and the presence of diapausing egg banks. In contrast, the role of local adaptation, genetic hitchhiking and migration is limited to small populations in these organisms. Our results indicate that local adaptation could have different impact on genetic structure in different groups of zooplankters.

Download Full-text

We shall meet again - Genomics of historical admixture in the sea

10.1101/2020.05.01.069740 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xueyun Feng ◽

Juha Merilä ◽

Ari Löytynoja

Keyword(s):

Local Adaptation ◽

Source Population ◽

Genetic Introgression ◽

Genome Data ◽

The North ◽

Standing Variation ◽

Genomic Landscape ◽

The North Sea ◽

Phylogenetic Affinities ◽

The Impact

AbstractWe studied the impact of genetic introgression in evolution and on evolutionary studies with whole-genome data from two divergent lineages of sticklebacks. Our results reveal that the hybrid zone between the lineages ranges across the entire Baltic Sea and parts of the North Sea with the foreign ancestry decreasing with increasing distance to the source population. Introgression has also penetrated currently isolated freshwater populations. We identified footprints of selection on regions enriched for introgressed variants, suggesting that some of the introgression has been adaptive. However, the levels of introgression were in general negatively correlated with the recombination rate, suggesting that the introgression has been largely neutral and adaptive ancestral standing variation likely had a more important role in shaping the genomic landscape. Our results further suggest that overlooked introgression can mislead analyses of local adaptation and phylogenetic affinities, highlighting the importance of accounting for introgression in studies of local adaptation.

Download Full-text

The Tree Height Growth of Most Southern Scot Pine Populations Are Locally Adapted to Drought

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10070555 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 555

Author(s):

Natalia Vizcaíno-Palomar ◽

Noelia González-Muñoz ◽

Santiago C. González-Martínez ◽

Ricardo Alía ◽

Marta Benito Garzón

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Tree Height ◽

Height Growth ◽

Species Ranges ◽

Current Climate ◽

Rcp 8.5 ◽

Tree Height Growth ◽

The Impact

Most populations of Scots pine in Spain are locally adapted to drought, with only a few populations at the southernmost part of the distribution range showing maladaptations to the current climate. Increasing tree heights are predicted for most of the studied populations by the year 2070, under the RCP 8.5 scenario. These results are probably linked to the capacity of this species to acclimatize to new climates. The impact of climate change on tree growth depends on many processes, including the capacity of individuals to respond to changes in the environment. Pines are often locally adapted to their environments, leading to differences among populations. Generally, populations at the margins of the species’ ranges show lower performances in fitness-related traits than core populations. Therefore, under expected changes in climate, populations at the southern part of the species’ ranges could be at a higher risk of maladaptation. Here, we hypothesize that southern Scots pine populations are locally adapted to current climate, and that expected changes in climate may lead to a decrease in tree performance. We used Scots pine tree height growth data from 15-year-old individuals, measured in six common gardens in Spain, where plants from 16 Spanish provenances had been planted. We analyzed tree height growth, accounting for the climate of the planting sites, and the climate of the original population to assess local adaptation, using linear mixed-effect models. We found that: (1) drought drove differences among populations in tree height growth; (2) most populations were locally adapted to drought; (3) tree height was predicted to increase for most of the studied populations by the year 2070 (a concentration of RCP 8.5). Most populations of Scots pine in Spain were locally adapted to drought. This result suggests that marginal populations, despite inhabiting limiting environments, can be adapted to the local current conditions. In addition, the local adaptation and acclimation capacity of populations can help margin populations to keep pace with climate change. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing, case-by-case, populations’ capacities to cope with climate change.

Download Full-text

Moving among Communities

Evolutionary Community Ecology ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691088778.003.0006 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Mark A. McPeek

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Local Community ◽

Evolutionary Dynamics ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Evolution Of Dispersal ◽

Movement Strategies ◽

Regional Community ◽

Dispersal Evolution ◽

The Impact

This chapter examines the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of species across a metacommunity, and how these dynamics affect regional community structure. It begins with a discussion of the evolution of dispersal, focusing on when movement between local communities is and is not favored by natural selection, and how these various movement patterns shape local community structure. An example of the demographic consequences of dispersal is presented, and the evolution of dispersal in a temporally constant environment is analyzed. The chapter also considers the evolution of dispersal rates among communities along with local adaptation within each and explains how link species affect local abundances via their movement strategies. Finally, it explores the interplay between local adaptation and dispersal evolution, the impact of simultaneous spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions on the evolution of dispersal among populations, and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.

Download Full-text

Local Adaptation and Response of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco Populations to Climate Change

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10080622 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 622 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xian-Ge Hu ◽

Jian-Feng Mao ◽

Yousry A. El-Kassaby ◽

Kai-Hua Jia ◽

Si-Qian Jiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Tree Height ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Potential Growth ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Platycladus Orientalis ◽

Non Local ◽

The Impact

Knowledge about the local adaptation and response of forest tree populations to the climate is important for assessing the impact of climate change and developing adaptive genetic resource management strategies. However, such information is not available for most plant species. Here, based on 69 provenances tested at 19 common garden experimental sites, we developed a universal response function (URF) for tree height at seven years of age for the important and wide-spread native Chinese tree species Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco. URF was recently used to predict the potential growth response of a population originating from any climate and growing in any climate conditions. The developed model integrated both genetic and environmental effects, and explained 55% of the total variation in tree height observed among provenances and test sites in China. We found that local provenances performed better than non-local counterparts in habitats located in central, eastern, and southwestern China, showing the evidence of local adaptation as compared to other regions. In contrast, non-local provenances outperformed local ones in peripheral areas in northern and northwestern China, suggesting an adaptational lag in these areas. Future projections suggest that the suitable habitat areas of P. orientalis would expand by 15%–39% and shift northward by 0.8–3 degrees in latitude; however, the projected tree height of this species would decline by 4%–8% if local provenances were used. If optimal provenances were used, tree height growth could be improved by 13%–15%, along with 59%–71% suitable habitat expansion. Thus, assisted migration with properly selected seed sources would be effective in avoiding maladaptation in new plantations under a changing climate for P. orientalis.

Download Full-text

Founder effects drive the genetic structure of passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.6094 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e6094 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Javier Montero-Pau ◽

Africa Gómez ◽

Manuel Serra

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Population Growth ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Growth Rates ◽

High Population ◽

Founder Effects ◽

Population Growth Rates ◽

High Population Growth ◽

The Impact

Populations of passively dispersed organisms in continental aquatic habitats typically show high levels of neutral genetic differentiation despite their high dispersal capabilities. Several evolutionary factors, including founder events, local adaptation, and life cycle features such as high population growth rates and the presence of propagule banks, have been proposed to be responsible for this paradox. Here, we have modeled the colonization process to assess the impact of migration rate, population growth rate, population size, local adaptation and life-cycle features on the population genetic structure in these organisms. Our simulations show that the strongest effect on population structure are persistent founder effects, resulting from the interaction of a few population founders, high population growth rates, large population sizes and the presence of diapausing egg banks. In contrast, the role of local adaptation, genetic hitchhiking and migration is limited to small populations in these organisms. Our results indicate that local adaptation could have different impact on genetic structure in different groups of zooplankters.

Download Full-text

THE IMPACT OF SPATIAL SCALE AND HABITAT CONFIGURATION ON PATTERNS OF TRAIT VARIATION AND LOCAL ADAPTATION IN A WILD PLANT PARASITE

Evolution ◽

10.1111/evo.12239 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 176-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Ayco J. M. Tack ◽

Felix Horns ◽

Anna‐Liisa Laine

Keyword(s):

Spatial Scale ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Trait Variation ◽

Habitat Configuration ◽

Plant Parasite ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Livelihood diversification and climate change adaptation in Indo-Gangetic plains: implication of rainfall regimes

Journal of Agriculture and Environment ◽

10.3126/aej.v16i0.19841 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 77-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gopal D Bhatta ◽

Pramod K Aggarwal ◽

Amit Shrivastava

Keyword(s):

Local Adaptation ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Climatic Variability ◽

Household Survey ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Rainfall Regime ◽

Livelihood Diversification ◽

Gangetic Plains ◽

High Rainfall ◽

The Impact

We investigate whether spatial variations in climatic resource such as rainfall have prompted livelihood diversification, local adaptation and household food availability in Indo-Gangetic Plains using data from a household survey of 2660 farm-families carried out in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. We found that on-farm livelihood sources are higher in high rainfall regime (1300-1800 mm) compared to medium (<1300 mm) and very high rainfall regime (>1800 mm). The off-farm sources are higher in medium rainfall regime. Although a large number of changes are attributed to harvest better yield, yet farmers made numbers of changes in response to climatic variability as well. Although agricultural livelihood and local adaptation are restrained by several climatic and non-climatic factors; the amount of annual rainfall significantly affects livelihood diversification, and the impact of climatic stressors becomes more pronounced when there is interaction with other non-climatic factors. The results imply that livelihood and adaptation strategies should be tailor made along the climatic and non-climatic resources.

Download Full-text

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

AoB Plants ◽

10.1093/aobpla/plaa008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emily V Moran

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Adaptation ◽

Life Histories ◽

Range Size ◽

Range Shift ◽

Range Shifts ◽

Climate Shift ◽

Management Actions ◽

Climate Shifts ◽

The Impact

Abstract 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.

Download Full-text