Wind strength and direction have large-scale impacts on genetic patterns in forests around the world, a study finds. Wind plays a critical role in plant ecology and evolution by dispersing pollen and seeds. However, how wind currents affect landscape genetic patterns at large spatial scales is unclear. Matthew Kling and David Ackerly combined models with genetic data from 72 publications covering 97 tree and shrub species, 120 datasets, and 1,940 populations worldwide. The authors found that wind patterns are strongly directional and geographically variable, in contrast to the assumptions of many classical models. Wind shapes three different facets of landscape genetics: genetic differentiation, gene flow, and genetic diversity. Populations linked by strong winds share more genetic similarities than populations linked by weak winds. Additionally, populations linked by directionally imbalanced winds show asymmetric movement of genetic material. Further, downwind populations tend to exhibit relatively high genetic diversity. According to the authors, the findings could help uncover the vulnerability of forests and biodiversity to ongoing habitat fragmentation and climate change.
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Article #2020-17317: "Global wind patterns shape genetic differentiation, asymmetric gene flow, and genetic diversity in trees," by Matthew Kling and David Ackerly
MEDIA CONTACT: Matthew Kling, University of California, Berkeley, CA; tel: 802-488-4668; email: <mattkling@berkeley.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences