TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring interspecific hybridization dynamics in artificial forests of Pinus brutia and P. halepensis
T2 - Implications for sustainable afforestation
AU - Houminer, Naomi
AU - Osem, Yagil
AU - Riov, Joseph
AU - Sherman, Amir
AU - Rozen, Ada
AU - Sela, Hanan
AU - David-Schwartz, Rakefet
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024/7
Y1 - 2024/7
N2 - Interspecific hybridization increases genetic diversity, which is essential for coping with changing environments. Hybrid zones, occurring naturally in overlapping habitats of closely related species, can be artificially established during afforestation. The resulting interspecific hybridization may promote sustainability in artificial forests, particularly in regions facing degradation due to climate change. Currently, there is limited evidence of hybridization during regeneration of artificial forests. Here, we studied the frequency of Pinus brutia Ten. × P. halepensis Mill. hybridization in five planted forests in Israel in three stages of forest regeneration: seeds before dispersal, emerged seedlings and recruited seedlings at the end of the dry season. We found hybrids on P. brutia, but not on P. halepensis trees due to asynchronous cone production phenology. Using 94 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, we found hybrids at all stages, most of which were hybrids of advanced generations. The hybrid proportions increased from 4.7 ± 2.1 to 8.2 ± 1.4 and 21.6 ± 6.4 per cent, from seeds to emerged seedlings and to recruited seedlings stages, respectively. The increased hybrid ratio implies an advantage of hybrids over P. brutia during forest regeneration. To test this hypothesis, we measured seedling growth rate and morphological traits under controlled conditions and found that the hybrid seedlings exhibited selected traits of the two parental species, which likely contributed to the fitness and survival of the hybrids during the dry season. This study highlights the potential contribution of hybrids to sustainable-planted forests and contributes to the understanding of genetic changes that occur during the regeneration of artificial forests.
AB - Interspecific hybridization increases genetic diversity, which is essential for coping with changing environments. Hybrid zones, occurring naturally in overlapping habitats of closely related species, can be artificially established during afforestation. The resulting interspecific hybridization may promote sustainability in artificial forests, particularly in regions facing degradation due to climate change. Currently, there is limited evidence of hybridization during regeneration of artificial forests. Here, we studied the frequency of Pinus brutia Ten. × P. halepensis Mill. hybridization in five planted forests in Israel in three stages of forest regeneration: seeds before dispersal, emerged seedlings and recruited seedlings at the end of the dry season. We found hybrids on P. brutia, but not on P. halepensis trees due to asynchronous cone production phenology. Using 94 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, we found hybrids at all stages, most of which were hybrids of advanced generations. The hybrid proportions increased from 4.7 ± 2.1 to 8.2 ± 1.4 and 21.6 ± 6.4 per cent, from seeds to emerged seedlings and to recruited seedlings stages, respectively. The increased hybrid ratio implies an advantage of hybrids over P. brutia during forest regeneration. To test this hypothesis, we measured seedling growth rate and morphological traits under controlled conditions and found that the hybrid seedlings exhibited selected traits of the two parental species, which likely contributed to the fitness and survival of the hybrids during the dry season. This study highlights the potential contribution of hybrids to sustainable-planted forests and contributes to the understanding of genetic changes that occur during the regeneration of artificial forests.
KW - adaptation
KW - drought resistance
KW - forest regeneration
KW - hybridization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85193933695&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/mec.17413
DO - 10.1111/mec.17413
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C2 - 38771006
AN - SCOPUS:85193933695
SN - 0962-1083
VL - 33
JO - Molecular Ecology
JF - Molecular Ecology
IS - 13
M1 - e17413
ER -