Centenary coppicing maintains high levels of genetic diversity in a root resprouting oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.)

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• 作者：María Valbuena-Carabaña ; Luis Gil
• 关键词：Clonality ; Coppice forest ; Genetic diversity ; Resprouting ; Somatic mutations
• 刊名：Tree Genetics & Genomes
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：13
• 期：1
• 全文大小：
• 刊物主题：Forestry; Plant Genetics & Genomics; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Tree Biology; Biotechnology;
• 出版者：Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• ISSN：1614-2950
• 卷排序：13

文摘

Studies disentangling the anthropogenic influences of traditional forest uses are crucial to assess the current conservation value of cultural landscapes. By promoting asexual regeneration, centenary coppicing in the predominantly root resprouter Quercus pyrenaica is assumed to have reduced genetic diversity levels contributing to the decline of abandoned coppices and the common lack of acorn production. This work aims to test the widespread assumption that historical coppicing in Q. pyrenaica has caused depleted levels of genetic diversity. Seven microsatellite markers were used to assess clonal structure and population genetic diversity levels in six abandoned coppices of Q. pyrenaica, which were compared to three open woodlands in national parks in Spain. Asexual regeneration was higher in coppices, leading to more frequent and larger clonal assemblies. Clonal diversity parameters (genotypic richness and proportion of unique genotypes) were significantly lower in coppices, although density of genotypes per surface area and levels of population genetic diversity were comparable to those observed in open parklands. Heterogenic clonal structures were found both within and among stands, hindering the inference of concrete anthropogenic disturbances. Despite promoting asexual reproduction, coppicing maintains high levels of genotypic and genetic diversity and allows the incorporation of new genotypes by seed recruitment. The natural resprouting capacity of Q. pyrenaica preserved the species in face of long-lasting anthropogenic disturbances, fostering ecosystem resilience and harbouring high conservation values.