Local adaptation of trees at the range margins impact range shifts in the face of climate change

The ability of tree species to track their climatic niche at rates comparable to global warming is concerning, particularly if they are constrained by local adaptation. If a species is locally adapted at its range margin it could be beneficial for range expansion as it ensures that the genotypes colonizing new areas are the fittest because environmental conditions are more similar to the current ones. In trees, local adaptation can slow range expansion when climate change happens much faster than their ability to migrate. We investigate experimentally a series of factors thought to constrain the seedling phase at the leading edge of the distribution of a dominant tree species, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall.). We established a seed transplant experiment using six provenances, representing the latitudinal species range, and transplanted them to 12 sites within, at, and beyond the current northern species range margin. Northern provenances currently provide the best opportunity for ...