Data from: Climate drives adaptive genetic responses associated with survival in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)

A genecological approach was used to explore genetic variation for survival in Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush). Artemisia tridentata is a widespread and foundational shrub species in western North America. This species has become extremely fragmented, to the detriment of dependent wildlife, and efforts to restore it are now a land management priority. Common garden experiments were established at three sites with seedlings from 55 source-populations. Populations included each of the three predominant subspecies, and cytotype variations. Survival was monitored for five-years to assess differences in survival between gardens and populations. We found evidence of adaptive genetic variation for survival. Survival within gardens differed by source-population and a substantial proportion of this variation was explained by seed climate-of-origin. Plants from areas with the coldest winters had the highest levels of survival, while populations from warmer and drier sites had the lowest levels of survival. Survival was lowest, 36%, in the garden that was prone to the lowest minimum temperatures. These results suggest the importance of climatic driven genetic differences and their effect on survival. Understanding how genetic variation is arrayed across the landscape and its association with climate can greatly enhance the success of restoration and conservation.本研究采用基因生态学方法，探究了三齿蒿（Artemisia tridentata，俗称大丛山艾）的存活相关遗传变异。三齿蒿是北美西部广泛分布的建群性灌木物种，其种群现已高度破碎化，对依赖其生存的野生动物造成不利影响，因此对其开展恢复工作现已成为土地管理的优先事项。研究在3个试验点设立了同质园实验，所用幼苗来自55个源种群，所涉种群涵盖该物种的3个主要亚种及各类细胞型变异。本研究对幼苗存活情况进行了为期5年的监测，以评估不同同质园及不同源种群间的存活差异。研究发现了与存活相关的适应性遗传变异证据：各同质园内的幼苗存活率因源种群不同存在显著差异，且该差异中有相当大比例可由种子的源地气候所解释。来自冬季最冷区域的植株存活率最高，而来自温暖干旱区域的种群存活率最低；在最低温极易达到极值的试验点同质园内，幼苗存活率仅为36%，为所有试验点中最低。上述结果表明，气候驱动的遗传差异及其对植株存活的影响至关重要。厘清遗传变异在景观中的分布格局及其与气候的关联，可大幅提升该物种恢复与保护工作的成效。