Evidence for adaptation and acclimation in a widespread eucalypt of semi-arid Australia

Dorothy A Steane; Elizabeth H McLean; Brad M Potts; Suzanne M Prober; William D Stock; Vanessa M Stylianou; Rene E Vaillancourt; Margaret Byrne

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blw051

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Evidence for adaptation and acclimation in a widespread eucalypt of semi-arid Australia

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Evidence for adaptation and acclimation in a widespread eucalypt of semi-arid Australia

Dorothy A Steane, Elizabeth H McLean, Brad M Potts, Suzanne M Prober, William D Stock, Vanessa M Stylianou, Rene E Vaillancourt and Margaret Byrne

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol.121(3), pp.484-500

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blw051

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Abstract

climate resilience

DArTseq markers

genome-wide scan

leaf traits

local adaptation

population genomics

widespread species

As climates change, restoration programmes need to maximize the capacity of regenerating ecosystems to adapt to new environments, particularly when planting long-lived trees. By using a combined phenotypic and genomic approach, we assessed evidence of adaptation capacity in Eucalyptus loxophleba ssp. lissophloia, a mallee eucalypt important for restoration and oil production in Western Australia. Assessment of leaf traits in nine wild populations across a rainfall gradient showed that two traits were correlated with long-term moisture availability. Populations in more arid environments had lower specific leaf area and lower stomatal conductance, consistent with a stable plastic or adaptive response. Other leaf size and shape traits were correlated with short-term climate variables, suggesting a dynamic plastic response. Genome-wide scans with 4851 DArTseq markers and outlier analysis detected 50 markers showing signals of disruptive selection, consistent with local adaptation. Sixteen markers showed allele frequencies correlated with aridity; three were also associated with differences in stomatal conductance. Multivariate analysis and markerenvironment associations signalled secondary directions of adaptation associated with maximum temperatures and soil phosphorus. We suggest that adaptation and acclimation are both likely determinants of functional phenotype in E. loxophleba, and argue that aridity is a critical driver of adaptation in this widespread species.

Details

Title: Evidence for adaptation and acclimation in a widespread eucalypt of semi-arid Australia
Authors: Dorothy A Steane (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Elizabeth H McLean (Author)
Brad M Potts (Author) - University of Tasmania
Suzanne M Prober (Author) - CSIRO Land and Water
William D Stock (Author) - Edith Cowan University
Vanessa M Stylianou (Author) - Edith Cowan University
Rene E Vaillancourt (Author) - University of Tasmania
Margaret Byrne (Author) - Department of Parks and Wildlife
Publication details: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol.121(3), pp.484-500
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date published: 2017
DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw051
ISSN: 0024-4066
Copyright note: Copyright © 2017 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2017, 121, 484-500. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reproduction and distribution of the work, in any medium, provided the original work is not altered or transformed in any way, and that the work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450536702621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Evolutionary Biology