Department of Plant Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD 21532, USA.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2022 Apr 11;377(1848):20210008. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0008. Epub 2022 Feb 21.
Shifting range limits are predicted for many species as the climate warms. However, the rapid pace of climate change will challenge the natural dispersal capacity of long-lived, sessile organisms such as forest trees. Adaptive responses of populations will, therefore, depend on levels of genetic variation and plasticity for climate-responsive traits, which likely vary across the range due to expansion history and current patterns of selection. Here, we study levels of genetic and plastic variation for phenology and growth traits in populations of red spruce (), from the range core to the highly fragmented trailing edge. We measured more than 5000 offspring sampled from three genetically distinct regions (core, margin and edge) grown in three common gardens replicated along a latitudinal gradient. Genetic variation in phenology and growth showed low to moderate heritability and differentiation among regions, suggesting some potential to respond to selection. Phenology traits were highly plastic, but this plasticity was generally neutral or maladaptive in the effect on growth, revealing a potential liability under warmer climates. These results suggest future climate adaptation will depend on the regional availability of genetic variation in red spruce and provide a resource for the design and management of assisted gene flow. This article is part of the theme issue 'Species' ranges in the face of changing environments (Part II)'.
随着气候变暖，许多物种的分布范围预计会发生变化。然而，快速变化的气候将挑战长寿、固着生物（如森林树木）的自然扩散能力。因此，种群的适应性反应将取决于对气候响应性状的遗传变异和可塑性水平，而这些水平可能因扩展历史和当前的选择模式而在整个范围内发生变化。在这里，我们研究了来自红松（）分布核心到高度破碎的尾缘的种群的物候和生长性状的遗传和可塑性变化。我们从三个遗传上不同的区域（核心、边缘和边缘）测量了超过 5000 个在三个沿纬度梯度复制的常见花园中生长的后代。物候和生长的遗传变异表现出低到中等的遗传力和区域间的分化，表明有一定的潜力来应对选择。物候特征具有高度的可塑性，但这种可塑性对生长的影响通常是中性的或适应不良的，这揭示了在温暖气候下的潜在缺陷。这些结果表明，未来的气候适应将取决于红松在不同地区遗传变异的可利用性，并为辅助基因流的设计和管理提供了资源。本文是主题为“面对不断变化的环境的物种范围（第二部分）”的一部分。
