Data from: Capturing neutral and adaptive genetic diversity for conservation in a highly structured tree species

Preserving intraspecific genetic diversity is essential for long-term forest sustainability in a climate change scenario. Despite that, genetic information is largely neglected in conservation planning, and how conservation units should be defined is still heatedly debated. Here, we use maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), an outcrossing long lived tree with a highly fragmented distribution in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, to prove the importance of accounting for genetic variation - at both neutral molecular markers and quantitative traits - to define useful conservation units. Six gene pools associated to distinct evolutionary histories were identified within the species using 12 microsatellites and 266 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition, height and survival standing variation, their genetic control and plasticity were assessed in a multisite clonal common garden experiment (16,544 trees). We found high levels of quantitative genetic differentiation within previously defined neutral gene pools. Subsequent cluster analysis and post-hoc trait distribution comparisons allowed us to define ten genetically homogeneous population groups with high evolutionary potential. They constitute the minimum number of units to be represented in a maritime pine dynamic conservation program. Our results uphold that the identification of conservation units below the species level should account for key neutral and adaptive components of genetic diversity, especially in species with strong population structure and complex evolutionary histories. The environmental zonation approach currently used by the pan-European genetic conservation strategy for forest trees would be largely improved by gradually integrating molecular and quantitative trait information, as data become available.在气候变化背景下，保护种内遗传多样性对于森林的长期可持续性至关重要。然而，遗传信息在保护规划中仍被大幅忽视，且保护单元（conservation units）的定义方式至今仍存在激烈争论。本研究以滨海松（Pinus pinaster Ait.）为研究对象，该物种为异交长寿树种，在地中海生物多样性热点地区呈高度碎片化分布，旨在论证同时考虑中性分子标记与数量性状的遗传变异，对界定实用保护单元的重要性。研究依托12个微卫星标记（microsatellites）与266个单核苷酸多态性（Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs），在该物种内鉴定出6个与独特进化历史相关的基因库。此外，通过一项包含16544株植株的多地点无性系同质园试验（common garden experiment），本研究评估了株高与存活的现存遗传变异、其遗传调控机制及可塑性。研究发现，在先前定义的中性基因库内部，存在高水平的定量遗传分化。后续的聚类分析与事后性状分布比较，使我们得以界定出10个具有高进化潜力的遗传同质种群组，它们是滨海松动态保护计划中需覆盖的最小保护单元数量。本研究结果表明，在种级以下界定保护单元时，应纳入遗传多样性的关键中性与适应性组分，尤其对于种群结构强烈、进化历史复杂的物种而言。当前泛欧洲林木遗传保护策略所采用的环境分区方法，可在数据可及的前提下，逐步整合分子与数量性状信息，从而得到大幅优化。