[PCA] RESEARCH PAPER: Rapid evolution in native plants cultivated for ecological restoration: not a general pattern

[Prescott, Leah]

Rapid evolution in native plants cultivated for ecological restoration: not
a general pattern

From: Plant Biology
By: R. Nagel,  W. Durka,  O. Bossdorf,  A. Bucharova

"The growing number of restoration projects worldwide increases the demand
for seed material of native species. To meet this demand, seeds are often
produced through large‐scale cultivation on specialised farms, using
wild‐collected seeds as the original sources. However, during cultivation,
plants experience novel environmental conditions compared to those in
natural populations, and there is a danger that the plants in cultivation
are subject to unintended selection and lose their adaptation to natural
habitats. Although the propagation methods are usually designed to maintain
as much natural genetic diversity as possible, the effectiveness of these
measures have never been tested.

We obtained seed of five common grassland species from one of the largest
native seed producers in Germany. For each species, the seeds were from
multiple generations of seed production. We used AFLP markers and a common
garden experiment to test for genetic and phenotypic changes during
cultivation of these plants.

The molecular markers detected significant evolutionary changes in three
out of the five species and we found significant phenotypic changes in two
species. The only species that showed substantial genetic and phenotypic
changes was the short‐lived and predominantly selfing Medicago lupulina,
while in the other, mostly perennial and outcrossing species, the observed
changes were mostly minor.

Agricultural propagation of native seed material for restoration can cause
evolutionary changes, at least in some species. We recommend caution,
particularly in selfing and short‐lived species, where evolution may be
more rapid and effects may thus be more severe."

Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/plb.12901

-- 
Leah Prescott
Bureau of Land Management
Plant Conservation & Restoration Program
Data Coordinator
202-912-7232

National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/national-seed-strategy>
Plant Conservation Alliance <http://www.plantconservationalliance.org/>
Seeds of Success
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/native-plant-and-seed-material-development/collection>
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