Data from: Revisiting the provenance delineation of a widespread shrub, Frangula alnus—the role of spatial, temporal and environmental patterns

Including population genetic aspects into the selection of planting
material within the framework of conservation and restoration measures is
of vital importance for the long-term persistence of populations. This is
especially true facing climate change since genetic diversity and the
spread of potentially beneficial alleles are important for the
adaptability of populations. Therefore, knowledge about genetic
variability within and between populations is a critical aspect when
determining provenance regions. In our study, we investigated the
population genetic structure of a widespread, insect-pollinated and mainly
bird-dispersed shrub species, Frangula alnus, on the basis of seven
microsatellites and two chloroplast DNA markers throughout Germany. The
aim was to determine the spatial, temporal and ecological processes
genetically structuring populations to critically revise existing
provenance regions. Therefore, we conducted analyses on different spatial
scales (country-wide, regional and local) using the two different marker
sets in addition to environmental variables. We detected distinct patterns
on all spatial scales which indicated influences of historic
recolonization processes, regional differences of seed dispersal across
the landscape, as well as small-scale spatial genetic structures
attributable to local dispersal processes. No relation of underlying
environmental gradients such as temperature or precipitation and genetic
patterns was found. We conclude that different aspects of historic and
more recent gene flow shape population genetic structures and that a
thorough analysis on a variety of spatial, temporal and environmental
scales is necessary to appropriately select planting material for
conservation and restoration measures. Correspondingly, management advice
regarding provenance delineations will be provided.