Entire regions of trees are disappearing because of invasive pests, disease and a changing climate. The key to their ability to adapt to varied growing conditions and, ultimately, their survival, may reside in the complex genetic makeup of replacement trees, according to forest geneticists tasked with reintroducing tree species. A study of one of the rarest pine trees in the world, Torrey pine, conducted by a team including Penn State scientists, has yielded what the researchers called valuable insight into the value of genetic diversity and the importance of ensuring locally adapted diversity is maintained for restoration.
They published their findings in Evolutionary Applications.
"To conserve species with extremely low genetic diversity, introducing new genetic variation from one population to another can be beneficial, providing a 'rescue' to facilitate evolution and species adaptation," said team leader and senior author Jill Hamilton, Penn State associate professor in ecosystem science and management and director of the university's Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics. "But we show that in some cases where populations have evolved in isolation, like Torrey pine, caution may be warranted when considering the introduction of new variation."
