Species distribution models predict a wholesale redistribution of trees in the next century, yet migratory responses necessary to spatially track climates far exceed maximum post-glacial rates. The extent to which populations will adapt will depend upon phenotypic variation, strength of selection, fecundity, interspecific competition, and biotic interactions. Populations of temperate and boreal trees show moderate to strong clines in phenology and growth along temperature gradients, indicating substantial local adaptation. Traits involved in local adaptation appear to be the product of small effects of many genes, and the resulting genotypic redundancy combined with high fecundity may facilitate rapid local adaptation despite high gene flow. Gene flow with preadapted alleles from warmer climates may promote adaptation and migration at the leading edge, while populations at the rear will likely face extirpation. Widespread species with large populations and high fecundity are likely to persist and adapt, but will likely suffer adaptational lag for a few generations. As all tree species will be suffering lags, interspecific competition may weaken, facilitating persistence under suboptimal conditions. Species with small populations, fragmented ranges, low fecundity, or suffering declines due to introduced insects or diseases should be candidates for facilitated migration.

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Adaptation, migration or extirpation: climate change outcomes for tree populations

Populations are locally adapted when populations have the highest relative fitness at their home sites, and lower fitness in other parts of the range. Results from the extensive experimental plantations of populations of forest trees from different parts of the range show that populations can survive and grow in broad areas outside the home site. However, intra- and interspecific competition limit the distribution of genotypes. For populations from large parts of the range, relative fitness, compared with the local population, is often highest at the home site. At the edges of the range, this local adaptation may break down. The extent of local adaptation is determined by the balance between gene flow and selection. Genetic differentiation and strong natural selection occur over a range of tens or hundreds of kilometers, but reliable measurements of gene flow are available only for much shorter distances. Current models of spatially varying selection could be made more realistic by the incorporation of strong selection and isolation-by-distance characteristic of tree populations. Many studies suggest that most variation in adaptive traits is based on loci with small effects. Association genetics methods and improved genomic resources are useful for the identification of the loci responsible for this variation. The potential for adaptation to current climate change depends on genetic variation and dispersal and establishment rates.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/30033873.pdf

Gene Flow and Local Adaptation in Trees

Evolutionary responses are required for tree populations to be able to track climate change. Results of 250 years of common garden experiments show that most forest trees have evolved local adaptation, as evidenced by the adaptive differentiation of populations in quantitative traits, reflecting environmental conditions of population origins. On the basis of the patterns of quantitative variation for 19 adaptation-related traits studied in 59 tree species (mostly temperate and boreal species from the Northern hemisphere), we found that genetic differentiation between populations and clinal variation along environmental gradients were very common (respectively, 90% and 78% of cases). Thus, responding to climate change will likely require that the quantitative traits of populations again match their environments. We examine what kind of information is needed for evaluating the potential to respond, and what information is already available. We review the genetic models related to selection responses, and what is known currently about the genetic basis of the traits. We address special problems to be found at the range margins, and highlight the need for more modeling to understand specific issues at southern and northern margins. We need new common garden experiments for less known species. For extensively studied species, new experiments are needed outside the current ranges. Improving genomic information will allow better prediction of responses. Competitive and other interactions within species and interactions between species deserve more consideration. Despite the long generation times, the strong background in quantitative genetics and growing genomic resources make forest trees useful species for climate change research. The greatest adaptive response is expected when populations are large, have high genetic variability, selection is strong, and there is ecological opportunity for establishment of better adapted genotypes.

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Potential for evolutionary responses to climate change – evidence from tree populations

Over the past two decades, research in forest tree genomics has lagged behind that of model and agricultural systems. However, genomic research in forest trees is poised to enter into an important and productive phase owing to the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the enormous genetic diversity in forest trees and the need to mitigate the effects of climate change. Research on long-lived woody perennials is extending our molecular knowledge of complex life histories and adaptations to the environment - enriching a field that has traditionally drawn biological inference from a few short-lived herbaceous species.

Forest tree genomics: growing resources and applications.

The growing demand for transportation fuels, along with concerns about the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, has assured a viable future for the development of alternative fuels from renewable resources, such as lignocellulosic biomass. The effi cient utilization of these biomass resources is critically dependant on the in-depth knowledge of their chemical constituents. This, together with the desired fuel properties, helps tailor the chemical and/or enzymatic processes involved in converting biomass to biofuels. Hybrid poplars are among the fastest growing temperate trees in the world and a very promising feedstock for biofuels and other value-added products. Sequencing of the poplar genome has paved the way for tailoring new cultivars and clones optimized for biofuels production. Our objective is to review published research on the composition of the key chemical constituents of hybrid poplar species used for biofuels. Biomass yields, elemental composition, carbohy- drate and lignin content and composition are some of the characteristics reviewed, with emphasis on lignin struc- ture. Genetic modifi cations used to alter lignin content and composition, with the aim of improving biofuels yields, are also examined. © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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Poplar as a feedstock for biofuels: A review of compositional characteristics

Thirty three unique quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting the timing of spring bud flush have been identified in an intraspecific mapping population of coastal Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii]. Both terminal and lateral bud flush were measured over a 4-year period on clonal replicates at two test sites, allowing for the repeated estimation of QTLs. QTLs were detected on 12 linkage groups and, in general, each explained a small proportion of the total phenotypic variance and were additive in effect. Several QTLs influence the timing of bud flush over multiple years, supporting earlier evidence that the timing of bud flush through developmental stages is under moderate to strong genetic control by the same suite of genes through developmental stages. However, only a few QTLs controlling the timing of bud flush were detected at both test sites, suggesting that geographic location plays a major role in the phenology of spring growth. A small number of QTLs with year and site interactions were also estimated.

/pdf/mapping-of-quantitative-trait-loci-controlling-adaptive-oer92s6x6k.pdf

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits in coastal Douglas-fir. I. Timing of vegetative bud flush.

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were mapped in the woody perennial Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) for complex traits controlling the timing of growth initiation and growth cessation. QTL were estimated under controlled environmental conditions to identify QTL interactions with photoperiod, moisture stress, winter chilling, and spring temperatures. A three-generation mapping population of 460 cloned progeny was used for genetic mapping and phenotypic evaluations. An all-marker interval mapping method was used for scanning the genome for the presence of QTL and single-factor ANOVA was used for estimating QTL-by-environment interactions. A modest number of QTL were detected per trait, with individual QTL explaining up to 9.5% of the phenotypic variation. Two QTL-by-treatment interactions were found for growth initiation, whereas several QTL-by-treatment interactions were detected among growth cessation traits. This is the first report of QTL interactions with specific environmental signals in forest trees and will assist in the identification of candidate genes controlling these important adaptive traits in perennial plants.

https://www.genetics.org/content/genetics/165/3/1489.full.pdf

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits in coastal Douglas fir. III. Quantitative trait loci-by-environment interactions.

Two new high-through put techniques, computer tomography X-ray densitometry (CT scan) and pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry (pyMBMS), coupled with quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, were tested as a means to overcome the time and cost associated with conventional characterization of biomass feedstock components. Applications of these two techniques were evaluated using hybrid poplar for the CT scan and loblolly pine for the pyMBMS. Segregating progeny from hybrid poplar varied in specific gravity, with individual mean estimates ranging from 0.21–0.41. Progeny from loblolly pine varied in lignin, α cellulose, and mannan contents, with individual mean estimates of lignin content ranging from 28.7–33.1%, α cellulose content from 28.8–43.5% and mannan content from 4.2–10.1%. QTL analysis of the loblolly pine data suggested that eleven QTLs were associated with individual feedstock characteristics and that two QTLs for several feedstock components were linked to the same position on the loblolly pine genetic map. Each QTL individually accounted for 7–13% of the total phenotypic variation in associated loblolly pine feedstock components.

Keith S. Jech

Papers

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits in coastal Douglas-fir. I. Timing of vegetative bud flush.

Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits in coastal Douglas fir. III. Quantitative trait loci-by-environment interactions.

Two high-throughput techniques for determining wood properties as part of a molecular genetics analysis of hybrid poplar and loblolly pine

Development and Validation of Marker-Aided Selection Methods for Wood Property Traits in Loblolly Pine and