Consistent community genetic effects in the context of strong environmental and temporal variation in Eucalyptus.

Provenance translocations of tree species are promoted in forestry, conservation, and restoration in response to global climate change. While this option is driven by adaptive considerations, less is known of the effects translocations can have on dependent communities. We investigated the relative importance and consistency of extended genetic effects in Eucalyptus using two species-E. globulus and E. pauciflora. In E. globulus, the dependent arthropod and pathogen canopy communities were quantified based on the abundance of 49 symptoms from 722 progeny from 13 geographic sub-races across 2 common gardens. For E. pauciflora, 6 symptoms were quantified over 2 years from 238 progeny from 16 provenances across 2 common gardens. Genetic effects significantly influenced communities in both species. However, site and year effects outweighed genetic effects with site explaining approximately 3 times the variation in community traits in E. globulus and site and year explaining approximately 6 times the variation in E. pauciflora. While the genetic effect interaction terms were significant in some community traits, broad trends in community traits associated with variation in home-site latitude for E. globulus and home-site altitude for E. pauciflora were evident. These broad-scale trends were consistent with patterns of adaptive differentiation within each species, suggesting there may be extended consequences of local adaptation. While small in comparison to site and year, the consistency of genetic effects highlights the importance of provenance choice in tree species, such as Eucalyptus, as adaptive divergence among provenances may have significant long-term effects on biotic communities.

Genetic control of cuticular wax compounds in Eucalyptus globulus.

Plant cuticular wax compounds perform functions that are essential for the survival of terrestrial plants. Despite their importance, the genetic control of these compounds is poorly understood outside of model taxa. Here we investigate the genetic basis of variation in cuticular compounds in Eucalyptus globulus using quantitative genetic and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses. Quantitative genetic analysis was conducted using 246 open-pollinated progeny from 13 native sub-races throughout the geographic range. QTL analysis was conducted using 112 clonally replicated progeny from an outcross F2 population. Nine compounds exhibited significant genetic variation among sub-races with three exhibiting signals of diversifying selection. Fifty-two QTL were found with co-location of QTL for related compounds commonly observed. Notable among these was the QTL for five wax esters, which co-located with a gene from the KCS family, previously implicated in the biosynthesis of cuticular waxes in Arabidopsis. In combination, the QTL and quantitative genetic analyses suggest the variation and differentiation in cuticular wax compounds within E. globulus has a complex genetic origin. Sub-races exhibited independent latitudinal and longitudinal differentiation in cuticular wax compounds, likely reflecting processes such as historic gene flow and diversifying selection acting upon genes that have diverse functions in distinct biochemical pathways.

Genetic and ontogenetic variation in an endangered tree structures dependent arthropod and fungal communities.

Plant genetic and ontogenetic variation can significantly impact dependent fungal and arthropod communities. However, little is known of the relative importance of these extended genetic and ontogenetic effects within a species. Using a common garden trial, we compared the dependent arthropod and fungal community on 222 progeny from two highly differentiated populations of the endangered heteroblastic tree species, Eucalyptus morrisbyi. We assessed arthropod and fungal communities on both juvenile and adult foliage. The community variation was related to previous levels of marsupial browsing, as well as the variation in the physicochemical properties of leaves using near-infrared spectroscopy. We found highly significant differences in community composition, abundance and diversity parameters between eucalypt source populations in the common garden, and these were comparable to differences between the distinctive juvenile and adult foliage. The physicochemical properties assessed accounted for a significant percentage of the community variation but did not explain fully the community differences between populations and foliage types. Similarly, while differences in population susceptibility to a major marsupial herbivore may result in diffuse genetic effects on the dependent community, this still did not account for the large genetic-based differences in dependent communities between populations. Our results emphasize the importance of maintaining the populations of this rare species as separate management units, as not only are the populations highly genetically structured, this variation may alter the trajectory of biotic colonization of conservation plantings.