RESUMEN
Scientifically informed decisions for the long-term conservation of extant genetic diversity should combine in situ and ex situ conservation methods. The aim of the present study was to assess if a progeny plantation consisting of several open pollinated (OP) families and established for breeding purposes can also serve as an ex situ conservation plantation, using the case study of a Lithuanian progeny trial of Alnus glutinosa, a keystone species of riparian ecosystems that warrants priority conservation actions. We employed 17 nuclear microsatellite (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers and compared the genetic diversity and copy number of the captured alleles of 22 OP progeny families from this plantation, with 10 wild A. glutinosa populations, originating from the two provenance regions of the species in Lithuania. We conclude that the progeny plantation could be used as an ex situ plantation for the A. glutinosa populations from the first provenance region (represented by eight genetic conservation units (GCU)). Based on the present study's results, we can expect that the A. glutinosa progeny plantation harbors enough genetic diversity of wild A. glutinosa populations from the first provenance region. This progeny plantation can serve as a robust ex situ collection containing local alleles present in at least one wild population with at least 0.05 frequency with 25 replications.
RESUMEN
The study aimed to assess response of juvenile progeny of seven forest tree species, Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa, Populus tremula, Quercus robur and Fraxinus excelsior, and their populations to different combinations of climate change-related multiple stressors, simulated in a phytotron under elevated CO2 concentration: (1) heat + elevated humidity (HW); (2) heat + frost + drought (HFD); (3) heat + elevated humidity + increased UV-B radiation doses + elevated ozone concentration (HWUO); and (4) heat + frost + drought + increased UV-B radiation doses + elevated ozone concentration (HFDUO). Effects of the complex treatments, species and species-by-treatment interaction were highly significant in most of the growth, physiological and biochemical traits studied, indicating general and species-specific responses to the applied treatments. For deciduous trees, height increment was much higher under HW treatment than in ambient conditions (control) indicating a positive effect of elevated temperature and better water and CO2 availability. HFD treatment caused reduction of height increment in comparison to HW treatment in most species except for Q. robur and F. excelsior which benefited from lower humidity. Treatments HWUO and HFDUO have caused substantial damages to leaves in fast growing deciduous P. tremula, A. glutinosa and B. pendula, and resulted in their lower height increment than in HW treatment, although it was the same or even higher than that in the control. Rates of photosynthesis in most of the tree species were greatest in HFD treatment. A lower photosynthetic rate (compared to control) was observed in B. pendula, P. tremula and F. excelsior in HW treatment, and in most species-in HWUO treatment. Compared to control, intrinsic water use efficiency in all treatments was significantly lower in P. tremula, A. glutinosa and F. excelsior and higher in conifers P. sylvestris and P. abies. Significant population-by-treatment interactions found for most traits showed variation in response of populations, implying that this reflects adaptive potential of each tree species. The observed responses may not always be considered as adaptive as deteriorating growth of some populations or species may lead to loss of their competitiveness thus compromising regeneration and natural successions.