Is there a trade-off between species diversity and genetic diversity in forest tree communities? (original) (raw)
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Silvae Genetica
Relationships between species diversity and genetic diversity, the two most important elements of biodiversity, have recently attracted considerable interest in the field of community genetics. The present study contributes to this issue by addressing three questions that seem to have been ignored so far, namely whether the use of (a) different diversity measures, of (b) different components of diversity, and of (c) different genetic traits may lead to different assessements of species-genetic diversity relationships. For this purpose, data on species composition and genetic traits were collected from the natural regeneration of nine forest communities, which consist of three pure and six mixed tree stands located in the Thuringian forest area. The genetic traits comprised one DNA (AFLP) and five isozyme traits all of which were determined in all species. In contrast to other studies, the species diversity was determined for two components, SD (species diversity) and NeS (effective ...
Forest Ecology and Management, 2014
There is a general trend of biodiversity loss at global, regional, national and local levels. To monitor this trend, international policy processes have created a wealth of indicators over the last two decades. However, genetic diversity indicators are regrettably absent from comprehensive bio-monitoring schemes. Here, we provide a review and an assessment of the different attempts made to provide such indicators for tree genetic diversity from the global level down to the level of the management unit. So far, no generally accepted indicators have been provided as international standards, nor tested for their possible use in practice. We suggest that indicators for monitoring genetic diversity and dynamics should be based on ecological and demographic surrogates of adaptive diversity as well as genetic markers capable of identifying genetic erosion and gene flow. A comparison of past and present genecological distributions (patterns of genetic variation of key adaptive traits in the ecological space) of selected species is a realistic way of assessing the trend of intra-specific variation, and thus provides a state indicator of tree genetic diversity also able to reflect possible pressures threatening genetic diversity. Revealing benefits of genetic diversity related to ecosystem services is complex, but current trends in plantation performance offer the possibility of an indicator of benefit. Response indicators are generally much easier to define, because recognition and even quantification of, e.g. research, education, breeding, conservation, and regulation actions and programs are relatively straightforward. Only state indicators can reveal genetic patterns and processes, which are fundamental for maintaining genetic diversity. Indirect indicators of pressure, benefit, or response should therefore not be used independently of state indicators. A coherent set of indicators covering diversity-productivity-knowledge-management based on the genecological approach is proposed for application on appropriate groups of tree species in the wild and in cultivation worldwide. These indicators realistically reflect the state, trends and potentials of the world's tree genetic resources to support sustainable growth. The state of the genetic diversity will be based on trends in species population distribution and diversity patterns for selected species. The productivity of the genetic resource of trees in current use will reflect the possible potential of mobilizing the resource further. Trends in knowledge will underpin the potential capacity for development of the resource and current management of the genetic resource itself will reveal how well we are actually doing and where improvements are required.
Forest Systems, 2009
The concepts of genetic diversity and naturalness are well known as measures of conservation values and as descriptors of state or condition. A lack of research evaluating the relationship between genetic diversity and naturalness in biological communities, along with the possible implications in terms of evolutionary aspects and conservation management, make this subject particularly important as regards forest tree communities. We therefore examined the following hypothesis: the genetic diversity of a central-European tree stand averaged over species increases with the naturalness of the stand, as defined by the Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV). The results obtained show that the hypothesis is unsustainable because differences between the averaged genetic diversities of the unnatural and semi-natural stand classes (69 cases) were mostly non-significant. Moreover in three cases, the average genetic diversity of unnatural stand classes was significantly higher than the average genetic diversity of the semi-natural stand classes. A significantly lower average genetic diversity of unnatural stand class was not detected in the statistical analysis. Thus, the naturalness of a tree species community, as inferred from PNV, does not serve as a straightforward indicator of ecological stability when the genetic diversity and the adaptability of tree species are unknown.
Review Assessment of the Genetic Diversity in Forest Tree Populations Using Molecular Markers
2014
Molecular markers have proven to be invaluable tools for assessing plants' genetic resources by improving our understanding with regards to the distribution and the extent of genetic variation within and among species. Recently developed marker technologies allow the uncovering of the extent of the genetic variation in an unprecedented way through increased coverage of the genome. Markers have diverse applications in plant sciences, but certain marker types, due to their inherent characteristics, have also shown their limitations. A combination of diverse marker types is usually recommended to provide an accurate assessment of the extent of intra-and inter-population genetic diversity of naturally distributed plant species on which proper conservation directives for species that are at risk of decline can be issued. Here, specifically, natural populations of forest trees are reviewed by summarizing published reports in terms of the status of genetic variation in the pure species. In general, for outbred forest tree species, the genetic diversity within populations is larger than among populations of the same species, indicative of a negligible local spatial structure. Additionally, as is the case for plants in general, the diversity at the phenotypic level is also much larger than at the marker level, as selectively neutral markers are commonly used to capture the extent of genetic variation. However, more and more, nucleotide diversity within candidate genes underlying adaptive traits are studied for signatures of selection at single sites. This adaptive genetic diversity constitutes important potential for future forest management and conservation purposes.
Assessment of the Genetic Diversity in Forest Tree Populations Using Molecular Markers
Diversity, 2014
Molecular markers have proven to be invaluable tools for assessing plants' genetic resources by improving our understanding with regards to the distribution and the extent of genetic variation within and among species. Recently developed marker technologies allow the uncovering of the extent of the genetic variation in an unprecedented way through increased coverage of the genome. Markers have diverse applications in plant sciences, but certain marker types, due to their inherent characteristics, have also shown their limitations. A combination of diverse marker types is usually recommended to provide an accurate assessment of the extent of intra-and inter-population genetic diversity of naturally distributed plant species on which proper conservation directives for species that are at risk of decline can be issued. Here, specifically, natural populations of forest trees are reviewed by summarizing published reports in terms of the status of genetic variation in the pure species. In general, for outbred forest tree species, the genetic diversity within populations is larger than among populations of the same species, indicative of a negligible local spatial structure. Additionally, as is the case for plants in general, the diversity at the phenotypic level is also much larger than at the marker level, as selectively neutral markers are commonly used to capture the extent of genetic variation. However, more and more, nucleotide diversity within candidate genes underlying adaptive traits are studied for signatures of selection at single sites. This adaptive genetic diversity constitutes important potential for future forest management and conservation purposes.
Genetic diversity and its relationship with secondary succession of forest tree communities
Forest succession is a fundamental ecological process, which has significant implications for sustainable natural resource management and for the biological, biophysical, and biogeochemical processes in an ecosystem. Genetic diversity is not only a product of the number of species present in a given area, but also of successional change from colonization of gaps by pioneer species to mature climax forest. Genetic diversity should be higher in earlier successional stages than in later stages because high environmental predictability in later successional stages favours low genetic diversity. In this study we explored the relationship between secondary succession and genetic diversity in eight stands of characteristic tree communities in the Thuringian forest area (Germany). For defining 195secondary succession, we used the mean Ellenberg indicator values for light and nitrogen in the herb layer, weighted for coverage, as well as the percentage of climax tree species in naturally rege...
Genetic diversity in relation to secondary succession of forest tree communities?
Polish Journal of Ecology
Forest succession is a fundamental ecological process, which has significant implications for the biological, biophysical, and biogeochemical processes in an ecosystem. Genetic diversity is not only a product of the number of species present in a given area, but also of successional change from colonization of gaps by pioneer species to mature climax forest. Genetic diversity should be higher in earlier successional stages than in later stages because high environmental predictability in later successional stages favours low genetic diversity. In the present study we explored the relationship between secondary succession and genetic diversity in eight stands of characteristic tree communities in the Thuringian forest area (Germany). To define secondary succession, we used the mean Ellenberg indicator values for light and nitrogen in the herb layer, weighted for coverage, as well as the percentage of climax tree species in naturally regenerated stands. The transspecific genotype dive...
2009
Knowledge of how genetic variation within a tree species affects associated 1 communities and ecosystem processes across its entire range is important for understanding 2 how geographic mosaics of genetic interactions might develop and support different 3 communities. While numerous studies have investigated the community and ecosystem 4 consequences of genetic variation at the hybrid cross-type or genotype-level within a species, 5 none have investigated the community-level effects of intraspecific genetic variation across the 6 geographic range of a widespread species. This is the scale at which geographic mosaics of 7 coevolution are hypothesized to exist. Studies at this level are particularly important for 8 foundation tree species, which typically support numerous microbial, fungal, plant and animal 9 communities. We studied genetic variation across eight geographical races of the forest tree, 10