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Assignment testing reveals multiple introduced source populations including potential ash hybrids (Fraxinus excelsior × F. angustifolia) in Ireland

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Abstract

Large-scale reforestation programmes are a major source of unwarranted gene flow and can have profound consequences on local genetic diversity. Recently, ash has been introduced to Ireland from continental Europe to stock plantations but has often exhibited poor stem form. It was not known whether these trees were Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus angustifolia or interspecific hybrids that are known to occur in continental Europe. F. excelsior is the only native ash in Ireland, so the introduced populations represent a potential threat for the genetic diversity of native populations. We characterized the introduced trees within two plantations (Clonee and Kildalkey) using morphological characters and six microsatellite markers. Samples from continental Europe were included for comparison. Plantations exhibited higher genetic diversity than control populations because our data suggest they contain a mixture of several provenances. There was a small but significant differentiation between plantations and control populations (ФCT = 0.0211). Bayesian analysis to infer population structure and to assign introduced individuals to reference populations clearly demonstrated the presence of hybrid individuals within the plantations. The percentage of trees detected with potential hybrid origin ranged from 28 to 58 % depending on the plantation and the threshold data analysis level chosen. Most hybrids could be considered cryptic because there was a lack of intermediate morphology for hybrid individuals that mainly clustered with F. excelsior. The results indicated that the source of material at the two plantation sites differed. Management options to minimize the impact of these introduced populations are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work forms part of Muriel Thomasset’s PhD research and was supported by COFORD and a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship. We thank the owners of the two plantation sites Mr. Gerald Potterton and Mr. Brian White for the access to their land. Special thanks to Bridget Brankin for her help with the morphological measurements and to Martina Temunovic for access to the genotypes of her samples from Croatia and Bulgaria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Muriel Thomasset & Trevor R. Hodkinson

  2. Kinsealy Research Centre, Teagasc, Malahide Road, Dublin 17, Ireland

    Muriel Thomasset & Gerry C. Douglas

  3. CNRS, UMR 8079, 91405, Orsay, France

    Juan F. Fernández-Manjarrés, Paola Bertolino & Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste

  4. AgroParisTech, 75231, Paris, France

    Juan F. Fernández-Manjarrés, Paola Bertolino & Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste

  5. UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, 91405, Orsay, France

    Juan F. Fernández-Manjarrés, Paola Bertolino & Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste

  6. Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Trevor R. Hodkinson

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  1. Muriel Thomasset
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Correspondence to Muriel Thomasset.

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Communicated by G. Brazaitis.

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Thomasset, M., Fernández-Manjarrés, J.F., Douglas, G.C. et al. Assignment testing reveals multiple introduced source populations including potential ash hybrids (Fraxinus excelsior × F. angustifolia) in Ireland. Eur J Forest Res 132, 195–209 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-012-0667-9

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