Gene flow of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in a fragmented landscape

PLoS One. 2017 Oct 20;12(10):e0186757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186757. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Gene flow dynamics of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) is affected by several human activities in Central Europe, including habitat fragmentation, agroforestry expansion, controlled and uncontrolled transfer of reproductive material, and a recently introduced emerging infectious disease, ash dieback, caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Habitat fragmentation may alter genetic connectivity and effective population size, leading to loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding in ash populations. Gene flow from cultivated trees in landscapes close to their native counterparts may also influence the adaptability of future generations. The devastating effects of ash dieback have already been observed in both natural and managed populations in continental Europe. However, potential long-term effects of genetic bottlenecks depend on gene flow across fragmented landscapes. For this reason, we studied the genetic connectivity of ash trees in an isolated forest patch of a fragmented landscape in Rösenbeck, Germany. We applied two approaches to parentage analysis to estimate gene flow patterns at the study site. We specifically investigated the presence of background pollination at the landscape level and the degree of genetic isolation between native and cultivated trees. Local meteorological data was utilized to understand the effect of wind on the pollen and seed dispersal patterns. Gender information of the adult trees was considered for calculating the dispersal distances. We found that the majority of the studied seeds (55-64%) and seedlings (75-98%) in the forest patch were fathered and mothered by the trees within the same patch. However, we determined a considerable amount of pollen flow (26-45%) from outside of the study site, representing background pollination at the landscape level. Limited pollen flow was observed from neighbouring cultivated trees (2%). Both pollen and seeds were dispersed in all directions in accordance with the local wind directions. Whereas there was no positive correlation between pollen dispersal distance and wind speed, the correlation between seed dispersal distance and wind speed was significant (0.71, p < 0.001), indicating that strong wind favours long-distance dispersal of ash seeds. Finally, we discussed the implications of establishing gene conservation stands and the use of enrichment planting in the face of ash dieback.

MeSH terms

  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • DNA, Plant / isolation & purification
  • Ecosystem*
  • Fraxinus / genetics*
  • Gene Flow*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Pollen
  • Pollination
  • Wind

Substances

  • DNA, Plant

Grants and funding

This study is funded by the European Commission under the Forest and Nature for Society (FONASO) Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Program (fonaso.eu). We acknowledge the support by the German Research Foundation and the Open Access Publication Funds of the University of Göttingen. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.