reviewEcology LettersFeb 28, 2012BRONZE OA

Long‐distance gene flow and adaptation of forest trees to rapid climate change

CEA CESTA · Université de Bordeaux · +15 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

Forest trees are the dominant species in many parts of the world and predicting how they might respond to climate change is a vital global concern. Trees are capable of long-distance gene flow, which can promote adaptive evolution in novel environments by increasing genetic variation for fitness. It is unclear, however, if this can compensate for maladaptive effects of gene flow and for the long-generation times of trees. We critically review data on the extent of long-distance gene flow and summarise theory that allows us to predict evolutionary responses of trees to climate change. Estimates of long-distance gene flow based both on direct observations and on genetic methods provide evidence that genes can…

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