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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted gene flow | 3/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_gene_flow | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T14:17:36.560692+00:00 | kb-cron |
==== Dwarf birch (Betula nana) ==== Betula nana, or dwarf birch, populations in the UK have experienced accelerated decline due to habitat loss from anthropogenic activity and climate change. While UK populations still retain extant adaptive diversity, habitat fragmentation threatens to restrict gene flow and environmental adaptation. To better inform potential AGF strategies for a dwarf birch conservation program, researchers began a genomic analysis in 2013 searching for associations between allele frequencies and environmental conditions in Scottish populations. This genomic offset method alongside a model of simulated AGF suggested that the best conservation approach would involve a translocation of individuals with locally adapted genotypes from the center of the species range into populations along the edges. From this genomic analysis, researchers concluded that dwarf birch would also need additional management strategies such as mitigating clearing practices like grazing and burning alongside AGF so that populations could eventually exhibit natural gene flow.
==== Netleaf oak (Quercus rugosa) ==== In 2018, researchers published a genomic offset approach to inform potential conservation management for white oak species Quercus rugosa along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. To identify potential loci involved in local adaptation, they utilized an FST outlier analysis to show large variations in allele frequency between populations under varying selective pressures. This data were then mapped on a geographic model that showed patterns of adaptive genetic variation and predicted where populations may be at risk. Results showed a strong east-west genetic gradient following the seasonality of precipitation in the region and suggested that populations in the northeastern region are most likely to be maladapted to future climate conditions. The researchers concluded that management strategies such as AGF could utilize these findings for future conservation efforts.
=== Forestry ===
==== Norway spruce (Picea abies) ==== In 2018, researchers took advantage of a unique situation in southern Sweden where recent gene flow had occurred in populations of Norway spruce (Picea abies) due to a forest breeding program from the mid-twentieth century. Spruce trees were genetically sequenced to identify traits of both adaptive and economic interest. The results suggested a strong pattern of local adaptation and that trees of southern origin grew faster and taller than those of local origin. The researchers concluded that AGF and genomic selection could alleviate climate stress, while also emphasizing the risk of frost damage in AGF of boreal species due to varied timing of tree development and frost period.
== See also == Assisted evolution Conservation Genetics
== References ==