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FRIMEDBIO-Fri prosj.st. med.,helse,biol

Towards conservation genomics: studying migration of adaptation in a threatened non-model plant species

Alternative title: På vei mot bevaringsgenomikk: et studium av spredning av tilpasning i en truet, ikke-modell planteart

Awarded: NOK 5.0 mill.

A main challenge in conservation biology is to understand processes shaping species' distributions and genetic diversity. Up until now, almost all conservation genetic studies have looked at the neutral genetic diversity of species, however, this is not linked to a populations' potential to adapt to e.g. climate change or habitat destruction. In this project, we have used state-of-the-art DNA methods to study genomic variation in the sedge Carex scirpoidea. The sedge is widely distributed in North America and Greenland, but only found in three populations on the European side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Norway (Nordland County). We have focussed on the history of the Norwegian populations, and especially their genomic distinctiveness in a conservation context. We have collected Carex scirpoidea from Alaska in the west to Norway in the east, and our DNA results show that the Norwegian populations have a very long history in Norway. Whether any plants survived the last glaciation in Scandinavia has been discussed for almost 150 years, and our results clearly supports this for Carex scirpoidea. Our results have been communicated to the management authorities responsible for the populations growing in protected areas in Norway, and will add to the knowledge base for future red list assessments. Conservation genomic studies of red listed plants are still rare, and our results show the importance of such studies for selected species threatened by i.e. climate change. Our results also contribute to the ongoing discussions on how plant populations may withstand, adapt to, or go extinct due to large climatic changes. The fact that species reacts individually is important to include in models, explanations and possible solutions for the future. In North America, this sedge is mainly growing in tufts in various habitats like peatlands, beaches and on the tundra, while in Norway it is mainly growing in mats in nutrient-rich mountain vegetation influenced by seeping water. This makes the Norwegian populations particularly vulnerable to climate change affecting this habitat type, which is why the species is currently red-listed in Norway. We continue our work to link the genomic results to the ecological variation we have collected, and in that way, study what is preventing the species from having a wider European distribution. Our results contribute to the understanding of species' potential for adaptation following climate change, and to enable more empirically based, and sustainable, conservation strategies for rare and threatened species.

En virkning er et godt understøttet bidrag til den 150 år lange diskusjonen om istidsoverlevelse og langdistansespredning av planter. Ved å studere grønlandsstarr, en svært sjelden art i Norge med en helt spesiell plass i denne diskusjonen, har vi nå genomiske resultater som klart støtter istidsoverlevelse i Norge. Dette er formidlet til nasjonalparkforvalter med ansvar for bestandene i verneområder, og vil inngå i framtidige rødlistevurderinger av arten. Det er sjelden det foreligger bevaringsgenomiske undersøkelser av rødlistede planter, og resultatene våre viser viktigheten av å inkludere dette for utvalgte arter som feks er truet av klimaendringer. Resultatene våre bidrar til den videre diskusjonen av hvordan planter kan holde ut eller tilpasse seg store klimaendringer. Naturen er i rask forandring på grunn av menneskeskapte klimaendringer, og det at plantearter reagerer individuelt vil være viktig å ta med seg inn i modelleringer, forklaringer og mulige løsninger for framtiden.

The application of genomics to species of conservation concern shows great promise, and will transform our understanding of the amount, distribution and functional significance of neutral and adaptive genetic diversity in natural populations. Understandin g how northern species have responded to Quaternary environmental changes, either by surviving in extreme and unfavourable refugia over considerable time periods, or by escaping unfavourable conditions in more southern or eastern refugia is important to p redict species' future responses to climate change. Furthermore, understanding the genetic basis of adaptation in response to environmental variation is fundamental, as adaptation plays a key role in the extension of the ecological niche to marginal habit ats. The present project aims to use RADseq to identify SNPs in a first step towards investigating both neutral and adaptive genetic composition of a threatened, non-model plant species (Carex scirpoidea) in order to disentangle the effects of historical gene flow, genetic drift and selection, combining large-scale phylogeographic and outlier analyses coupled with local ecological data to find candidate loci for local adaptation. To test if the outlier loci actually are related to adaptations, we will tes t their selective advantage in selection experiments. Further, we will evaluate how the inclusion of data on adaptive divergence adds information on the species' evolutionary potential, and how this affects the delimitation of conservation units. The resu lts of this study will be of profound interest, not least for understanding processes associated with the adaptive potential and persistence of populations during environmental changes, which will enable more empirically based and sustainable conservation strategies for threatened and fragmented populations.

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FRIMEDBIO-Fri prosj.st. med.,helse,biol

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