Presented at the ESEB congress in Lausanne in 2015. Silene ciliata populations were studied at marginal and central populations. The effect of genetic flux from other populations was studied.

1. Local adaptation versus inbreeding depression in marginal
populations of a Mediterranean alpine plant: are they worthy
of conservation in a context of climate change?
Morente-López, J., García-Fernández, A., Lara-Romero, C.,
Rubio-Teso, M.L., Ruiz, R., Sánchez, A., Iriondo, J.M.
Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos,
E-28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.

2. • Genetically
impoverished
populations
• Inbreeding depression
• Maladaptation
• Not necessarily
depauperate for variation
in ecologically relevant
traits.
• Locally adapted
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations:
• grow under suboptimal environmental conditions
• great fluctuations and high probability of extinction
Soulé (1973)
?
Kawecki, T. J. 2008. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 39:321–342.
Soulé M. 1973. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Sys. 4:165-187
Lande R. 1994. Evolution 48: 1460–1469.
Whitlock MC. 2003. Genetics 164: 767–779.
Lande (1994), Whitlock (2003) Kawecki (2008)

3. Mediterranean alpine environments: highly vulnerable to
global warming
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations
Central populations
temperature rainfall

4. Experimental gene flow between populations:
• assessment of inbreeding depression and geneflow of
adaptive/maladaptive value
• management tool to assist marginal populations
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations
Central populations
central – marginal geneflow:
• Genetic diversity (Holt & Gomulkiewicz, 1997)
• Maladaptive alleles or gene combinations
(Kirkpatrick & Barton, 1997)
Holt RD, Gomulkiewicz R. 1997. Am Nat 149:563-572
Kirkpatrick M, Barton NH. 1997. Am Nat 150:1-23

5. Experimental gene flow between populations:
• assessment of inbreeding depression and geneflow of
adaptive/maladaptive value
• management tool to assist marginal populations
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations
Central populations
marginal-marginal geneflow
• Genetic diversity & adaptive alleles or gene combinations (Sexton et al. 2011)
Sexton JP, Strauss SY, Rice KJ. 2011. PNAS 108:11704-11709

6. Aim:
• To assess whether marginal populations at the lowest elevation of
Mediterranean alpine plants are locally adapted/maladapted to the
environmental conditions that will prevail with global warming
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions

7. • Circum-mediterranean alpine chamaephyte
• Central System at the lowest latitude of the
distibution range:
• Sierra de Béjar
• Sierra de Gredos
• Sierra de Guadarrama
• Elevation range: 1900 – 2500 m
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Silene ciliata Pourret

8. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
• Central population
• Marginal populations
GuadarramaGredosBéjar
Central vs. marginal populations
(Giménez-Benavides et al. 2011)
Giménez-Benavides, L., Albert, M.J., Iriondo, J.M. & Escudero, A. Ecography (2011) 34:85-93

9. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Central population
from same
mountain range
Marginal
population
Marginal population
from same
mountain range
X 6 marginal populations
F1
F2
F3
Experimental design:
• Seeds obtained in common garden conditions from
artificial crossings simulating different types of geneflow

10. Experimental design:
• Ex situ sowing experiment
at optimum conditions in
growth chamber and
greenhouse environment
(mother plant x type of cross x
block x pop. = 8640 seeds).
• In situ sowing experiment
at the locations of the 6
marginal populations
(mother plant x type of cross x
block x pop. = 24000 seeds)
Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions

11. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Ex situ germination
experiment
F1<F2, F3
F1=F2, F3
Germination = geneflowi + populationj + (geneflow x population)ij + motherplantk(j)

12. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Ex situ germination experiment
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
F1
F2
F3
GuadarramaGredosBéjar

13. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
In situ germination
experiment
F1<F3 F1>F2
F1=F2,F3 F1<F2
Germination = geneflowi + populationj + (geneflow x population)ij + motherplantk(j)

14. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
In situ germination experiment
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
F1
F2
F3
Maladaptation
from RUI
GuadarramaGredosBéjar

15. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
In situ germination experiment
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
Local adaptation (Giménez-Benavides et al., 2007)
Inbreeding depression (García-Fernández et al., 2012)
GuadarramaGredosBéjar
Giménez-Benavides L, Escudero A, Iriondo JM. 2007. Ann Bot 99:723-734.
García-Fernández A, Iriondo JM, Escudero A.2012. Oikos 121: 1435-1445.

16. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
Maladaptation
from RUI
In situ
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
Ex situ F1=F2,F3

17. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
Maladaptation
from RUI
In situ
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
Ex situ F1=F2,F3
He= 0.63
FIS= 0.33
Ne= 10
He= 0.75
FIS= 0.32
Ne= 25
He= 0.66
FIS= 0.19
Ne= 12
He= 0.70
FIS= -0.12
Ne= inf
He= 0.70
FIS= 0.39
Ne= 66
He= 0.51
FIS= 0.31
Ne= 131

18. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
Maladaptation
from RUI
In situ
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
Ex situ F1=F2,F3
He= 0.63
FIS= 0.33
Ne= 10
He= 0.75
FIS= 0.32
Ne= 25
He= 0.66
FIS= 0.19
Ne= 12
He= 0.70
FIS= -0.12
Ne= inf
He= 0.70
FIS= 0.39
Ne= 66
He= 0.51
FIS= 0.31
Ne= 131

19. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
Maladaptation
from RUI
In situ
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
Ex situ F1=F2,F3
He= 0.63
FIS= 0.33
Ne= 10
He= 0.75
FIS= 0.32
Ne= 25
He= 0.66
FIS= 0.19
Ne= 12
He= 0.70
FIS= -0.12
Ne= inf
He= 0.70
FIS= 0.39
Ne= 66
He= 0.51
FIS= 0.31
Ne= 131
Leimu R , Fischer M. 2008. PLoS ONE 3: e4010

20. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
• Seedling survival and size (up to July): No differences between geneflow
treatments
• On-going experiment
In situ

21. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations
Central populations
F1F2
F3
Little evidence of adaptive geneflow between marginal populations:
• Mimulus laciniatus (Sexton et al., 2011)
Sexton JP, Strauss SY, Rice KJ. 2011. PNAS 108:11704-11709

22. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
• Some evidence of central populations providing genetic diversity that reduces
inbreeding depression (Holt & Gomulkiewicz, 1997)
• No evidence of maladaptive alleles or gene combinations from central populations
(Kirkpatrick & Barton, 1997)
Marginal populations
Central populations
F1F2
F3
Holt RD, Gomulkiewicz R. 1997. Am Nat 149:563-572
Kirkpatrick M, Barton NH. 1997. Am Nat 150:1-23

23. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Marginal populations
Central populations
F1F2
F3
Genetic differentiation in functional traits between central and marginal populations:
• Tolerance to water stress (García-Fernández et al. 2013).
• Flowering phenology: S. ciliata (unpublished results), Armeria caespitosa (Lara-
Romero et al., 2014)
García-Fernandez A, Iriondo JM, Bartels D, Escudero A.2013 Plant Biol 15:93-100.
Lara-Romero C, García-Camacho R, Escudero A, Iriondo JM. 2014. Bot J Linn Soc 176:384-395.

24. Introduction Aims Materials & Methods Results & Discussion Conclusions
Conclusions
1. High incidence of inbreeding depression in marginal
populations.
2. Both adaptive/maladaptive geneflow between marginal
populations at the germination stage.
3. No maladaptive geneflow between central and marginal
populations at the germination stage.
4. Variation of responses to geneflow depending on the
marginal population are probably associated to differences
in effective population size, genetic diversity and population
inbreeding.
5. Response to geneflow in a given marginal population is also
dependent on temporal variation of environmental
conditions

25. Local adaptation versus inbreeding depression in marginal
populations of a Mediterranean alpine plant: are they
worthy of conservation in a context of climate change?
Acknowledgements:
• C. Diaz, G. Escribano, S. Prieto, P. Tabares, S. Eleazar, L. Cano & L. Martinez
• Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama
• Parque Regional de la Sierra de Gredos
• Reserva de la Biosfera de la Sierras de Béjar y Francia
• AdAptA Project CGL2012-33528, Spanish National R&D&I Plan