Open AccessDoes origin always matter? Evaluating the influence of nonlocal seed provenances for ecological restoration purposes in a widespread and outcrossing plant species
Author(s) -
Reiker Jutta,
Schulz Benjamin,
Wissemann Volker,
Gemeinholzer Birgit
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.1817
Subject(s) - outcrossing , biology , local adaptation , inbreeding , outbreeding depression , population , restoration ecology , genetic diversity , ecology , generalist and specialist species , evolutionary biology , habitat , demography , pollen , sociology
For restoration purposes, nature conservation generally enforces the use of local seed material based on the “local‐is‐best” ( LIB ) approach. However, in some cases recommendations to refrain from this approach have been made. Here we test if a common widespread species with no obvious signs of local adaptation may be a candidate species for abandoning LIB during restoration. Using 10 microsatellite markers we compared population genetic patterns of the generalist species D aucus carota in indigenous and formerly restored sites (nonlocal seed provenances). Gene diversity overall ranged between H e = 0.67 and 0.86 and showed no significant differences between the two groups. Hierarchical AMOVA and principal component analysis revealed very high genetic population admixture and negligible differentiation between indigenous and restored sites ( F CT = 0.002). Moreover, differentiation between groups was caused by only one outlier population, where inbreeding effects are presumed. We therefore conclude that the introduction of nonlocal seed provenances in the course of landscape restoration did not jeopardize regional species persistence by contributing to inbreeding or outbreeding depressions, or any measurable adverse population genetic effect. On the basis of these results, we see no obvious objections to the current practice to use the 10‐fold cheaper, nonlocal seed material of D . carota for restoration projects.