RT Journal Article
T1 Tree-level growth patterns and genetic associations depict drought legacies in the relict forests of Abies Marocana
A1 Méndez Cea, Belén
A1 García García, Isabel
A1 Sánchez Salguero, Raúl
A1 Lechuga, Víctor
A1 Gallego Rodríguez, Francisco Javier
A1 Linares, Juan C.
AB The frequency and intensity of drought events are increasing worldwide, challenging the adaptive capacity of several tree species. Here, we evaluate tree growth patterns and climate sensitivity to precipitation, temperature, and drought in the relict Moroccan fir Abies marocana. We selected two study sites, formerly stated as harboring contrasting A. marocana taxa (A. marocana and A. tazaotana, respectively). For each tree, dendrochronological methods were applied to quantify growth patterns and climate–growth sensitivity. Further, ddRAD-seq was performed on the same trees and close saplings to obtain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and related genotype–phenotype associations. Genetic differentiation between the two studied remnant populations of A. marocana was weak. Growth patterns and climate–growth relationships were almost similar at the two sites studied, supporting a negative effect of warming. Growth trends and tree size showed associations with SNPs, although there were no relationships with phenotypes related to climatic sensitivity. We found significant differences in the SNPs subjected to selection in the saplings compared to the old trees, suggesting that relict tree populations might be subjected to genetic differentiation and local adaptation to climate dryness. Our results illustrate the potential of tree rings and genome-wide analysis to improve our understanding of the adaptive capacity of drought-sensitive forests to cope with ongoing climate change.
PB MDPI
SN 2223-7747
YR 2023
FD 2023-02-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/88202
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/88202
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN)
NO Junta de Andalucía
DS Docta Complutense
RD 9 abr 2025