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Centenary coppicing maintains high levels of genetic diversity in a root resprouting oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.)

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Abstract

Studies disentangling the anthropogenic influences of traditional forest uses are crucial to assess the current conservation value of cultural landscapes. By promoting asexual regeneration, centenary coppicing in the predominantly root resprouter Quercus pyrenaica is assumed to have reduced genetic diversity levels contributing to the decline of abandoned coppices and the common lack of acorn production. This work aims to test the widespread assumption that historical coppicing in Q. pyrenaica has caused depleted levels of genetic diversity. Seven microsatellite markers were used to assess clonal structure and population genetic diversity levels in six abandoned coppices of Q. pyrenaica, which were compared to three open woodlands in national parks in Spain. Asexual regeneration was higher in coppices, leading to more frequent and larger clonal assemblies. Clonal diversity parameters (genotypic richness and proportion of unique genotypes) were significantly lower in coppices, although density of genotypes per surface area and levels of population genetic diversity were comparable to those observed in open parklands. Heterogenic clonal structures were found both within and among stands, hindering the inference of concrete anthropogenic disturbances. Despite promoting asexual reproduction, coppicing maintains high levels of genotypic and genetic diversity and allows the incorporation of new genotypes by seed recruitment. The natural resprouting capacity of Q. pyrenaica preserved the species in face of long-lasting anthropogenic disturbances, fostering ecosystem resilience and harbouring high conservation values.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to E. Zafra for her inestimable help in laboratory works and to S. Fairén and V. Fernández for revising the English language. We also wish to thank M. Zabal-Aguirre for his help in analysing the data in R and A. Gómez and J. Donés for their kind support in field activities within the national parks. Thanks are extended to two anonymous reviewers whose comments significantly improved the manuscript. This work was supported by the Autonomous Organism of Spanish National Parks through OAPN/030/2007, OAPN/047/2010 projects and the OAPN Prop23/10 JD/pl contract and by the Autonomous Community of Madrid through the CAM P2009/AMB-1668 project.

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  1. Forest History, Ecophysiology and Genetics Research Group, MONTES, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    María Valbuena-Carabaña & Luis Gil

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  1. María Valbuena-Carabaña
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  2. Luis Gil
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Valbuena-Carabaña, M., Gil, L. Centenary coppicing maintains high levels of genetic diversity in a root resprouting oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.). Tree Genetics & Genomes 13, 28 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1105-4

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