The adaptive potential of tree species implications for invasions and climate change.

The potential of species to adapt to changing conditions (adaptive potential) affects species survival during climate change, but simultaneously promotes the invasive potential of pest species. Tree species in particular constitute a large ecologically and economically important functional plant group, and determine the distribution of numerous herb and animal species (Kremer et al. 2012). This emphasizes the importance of research on the adaptive potential of tree species to (i) predict the potential effects of climate changes on the survival of tree species, and (ii) improve our knowledge on the invasive potential of tree species in new areas and the associated ecological consequences. Frangula alnus is a native tree species in Europe, but is imported and extremely invasive in Northern America. Based on 200 SNPs and a total of 37 (European and American) populations, population- and landscape genomics as well as phylogenetic analyses are used to investigate the invasion potential and the origin of the American populations. Next to this invasion research, a cutting experiment with Alnus glutinosa was performed in order to assess the relative importance of phenological plasticity and genetic adaptation of tree species in function of climate. By subjecting cuttings from 85 genotypes to different temperature conditions (with a total of 85 x 2 conditions x 3 replicates), the heritability and adaptive potential of the A. glutinosa phenology can be retrieved.

Keywords:Unvasion biology, Climate change, Landscape genomics, Molecular ecology, Adaptation, Phenotypic plasticity

Disciplines:Other biological sciences, Other natural sciences, Ecology, Environmental science and management, Other environmental sciences