Guidelines for genetic monitoring of translocated plant populations

Rossum, Fabienne Van; Hardy, Olivier J.

doi:10.1111/cobi.13670

Cited by 31 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…A few years after translocation, recruits have started to colonise five of the six sites. The establishment of new individuals resulted from seed germination rather than from clonal spread, which is an essential criterion for successful translocation and population restoration (Menges, 2008; Silcock et al, 2019; Van Rossum & Hardy, 2021). This recruitment mostly occurred under low competing vegetation, as some sites were former quarries exploited for sand extraction and had to be managed to restore sandy grasslands, usually with deforestation followed by grazing and scraping of the soil when necessary (Godefroid et al, 2016a, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, using mixed seed sources might also lead to maladaptation in the transplants or outbreeding depression in the cross progeny if the sources are too genetically divergent from each other or from the native individuals (Edmands, 2007; Frankham et al, 2011). Therefore, it is important to identify the reproductive processes associated with population dynamics after translocation using a genetic approach (Van Rossum & Hardy, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(v) Can we detect heterosis, inbreeding or outbreeding depression in the transplants and in the F1 generation? (vi) Is the fitness of the transplants and the F1 progeny related to other factors, which might reflect responses to different selective pressures, and so are relevant for evaluating translocation success (e.g., Reckinger et al, 2010; Van Rossum & Hardy, 2021; Van Rossum et al, 2020), such as site, source origin and/or transplant fitness?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mixing gene pools to prevent inbreeding issues in translocated populations of clonal species

Rossum

Pajolec

2021

Molecular Ecology

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Assisted gene flow by plant translocations is increasingly implemented for restoring populations of critically endangered species. The success in restoring genetically healthy populations may depend on translocation design, in particular the choice of the source populations. Highly clonal populations may show low genetic diversity despite large census sizes, and disrupted and geitonogamous pollination may result in selfing and inbreeding issues in the offspring intended for translocation. We carried out a genetic monitoring of translocated populations of the clonal Dianthus deltoides using 14 microsatellite markers and quantified fitness traits over two generations (transplants, F1 seed progeny and newly established individuals). Inbreeding levels were higher in the offspring used as transplants than in the adult generation of the source populations, as a result of high clonality and pollination disruption leading to self‐pollination. The F1 generation in translocated populations showed high genetic diversity maintained across generations, diminished inbreeding levels, low genetic differentiation, pollen flow and genetic mixing between the four sources. New individuals were established from seed germination. Fitness patterns were a combination of inbreeding depression in inbred transplants and F1 progeny, heterosis in admixed F1 progeny, source population adaptive capacities, phenotypic plasticity, maternal effects and site environmental specificities. The strategy in the translocation design to mix several local sources, combined with large founding population sizes and ecological management has proved success in initiating the processes leading to the establishment of genetically healthy populations, even when source populations are highly clonal with low genetic diversity leading to inbreeding issues in the transplants.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mixing gene pools to prevent inbreeding issues in translocated populations of clonal species

Rossum

Pajolec

2021

Molecular Ecology

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“…Genetic diversity erodes long before species become extinct—like trees hollowed out before they fall. Third, strategic actions such as translocations can increase genetic diversity or fitness of small, inbred populations (genetic rescue; Weeks et al 2011 , Whiteley et al 2015 ), for which recent risk-analysis (e.g., outbreeding, disease, invasiveness) and decision-making frameworks (when to translocate and how much) have become available (Ralls et al 2018 , Van Rossum and Hardy 2020 ). Retaining and restoring genetic connectivity, such as through habitat corridors, can allow exchange of genetic variants between populations and slow the loss of diversity.…”

Section: Second Set Of Conditions: Monitoring Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Commitments to Conserving and Monitoring Genetic Diversity Are Now Necessary and Feasible

et al. 2021

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Global conservation policy and action have largely neglected protecting and monitoring genetic diversity—one of the three main pillars of biodiversity. Genetic diversity (diversity within species) underlies species’ adaptation and survival, ecosystem resilience, and societal innovation. The low priority given to genetic diversity has largely been due to knowledge gaps in key areas, including the importance of genetic diversity and the trends in genetic diversity change; the perceived high expense and low availability and the scattered nature of genetic data; and complicated concepts and information that are inaccessible to policymakers. However, numerous recent advances in knowledge, technology, databases, practice, and capacity have now set the stage for better integration of genetic diversity in policy instruments and conservation efforts. We review these developments and explore how they can support improved consideration of genetic diversity in global conservation policy commitments and enable countries to monitor, report on, and take action to maintain or restore genetic diversity.

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“…Clair et al, 2020;Garcia-Jacas et al, 2021;Gargiulo et al, 2021;Thomas et al, 2021;, but studies combining the use of molecular DNA markers and fitness-related quantitative traits for assessing the genetic status still remain uncommon (Gentili et al, 2018;Borrell et al, 2019). Molecular markers allow for quantifying genetic diversity, inbreeding levels, parentage and sibship, pollen and seed dispersal and therefore gene flow, identifying mating processes, and possible pollination failure (e.g., Hardy et al, 2004;Carroll and Fox, 2008;Llaurens et al, 2008;Jones and Wang, 2010;Bragg et al, 2020;Van Rossum and Hardy, 2021). Effective population size (N e ), which represents a more accurate indicator for population viability than census population size, and bottlenecks that populations may have recently incurred, can also be inferred using molecular markers (Chybicki and Burczyk, 2009;Luikart et al, 2010;Wang, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Population Genetic Status for Designing Plant Translocations

Rossum

Pajolec

Raspé

et al. 2022

Front. Conserv. Sci.

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Assisted gene flow interventions such as plant translocations are valuable complementary techniques to habitat restoration. Bringing new genetic variants can contribute to increasing genetic diversity and evolutionary resilience, counteract inbreeding depression and improve plant fitness through heterosis. Large, highly genetically variable populations are usually recommended as sources for translocation. Unfortunately, many critically endangered species only occur as small populations, which are expected to show low genetic variation, high inbreeding level, paucity of compatible mates in self-incompatible species, and increased genetic divergence. Therefore, assessment of population genetic status is required for an appropriate choice of the source populations. In this paper, we exemplify the different analyses relevant for genetic evaluation of populations combining both molecular (plastid and nuclear) markers and fitness-related quantitative traits. We assessed the genetic status of the adult generation and their seed progeny (the potential translocation founders) of small populations of Campanula glomerata (Campanulaceae), a self-incompatible insect-pollinated herbaceous species critically endangered in Belgium. Only a few small populations remain, so that the species has been part of a restoration project of calcareous grasslands implementing plant translocations. In particular, we estimated genetic diversity, inbreeding levels, genetic structure in adults and their seed progeny, recent bottlenecks, clonal extent in adults, contemporary gene flow, effective population size (Ne), and parentage, sibship and seed progeny fitness variation. Small populations of C. glomerata presented high genetic diversity, and extensive contemporary pollen flow within populations, with multiple parentage among seed progenies, and so could be good seed source candidates for translocations. As populations are differentiated from each other, mixing the sources will not only optimize the number of variants and of compatible mates in translocated populations, but also representativeness of species regional genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is no immediate threat to population persistence, but small Ne, restricted among-population gene flow, and evidence of processes leading to genetic erosion, inbreeding and inbreeding depression in the seed progeny require management measures to counteract these trends and stochastic vulnerability. Habitat restoration facilitating recruitment, flowering and pollination, reconnecting populations by biological corridors or stepping stones, and creating new populations through translocations in protected areas are particularly recommended.

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Guidelines for genetic monitoring of translocated plant populations

Abstract: Article Impact statement: Genetic monitoring evaluates the success of plant translocations to restore genetic diversity and plant fitness in endangered populations.

Cited by 31 publications

References 80 publications

Mixing gene pools to prevent inbreeding issues in translocated populations of clonal species

Mixing gene pools to prevent inbreeding issues in translocated populations of clonal species

Global Commitments to Conserving and Monitoring Genetic Diversity Are Now Necessary and Feasible

Assessing Population Genetic Status for Designing Plant Translocations

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