Data from: Genetic differentiation within multiple common grassland plants supports seed transfer zones for ecological restoration

Ecological restoration of grasslands is increasingly based on regional seeds derived from predefined seed transfer zones. However, the degree and spatial pattern of genetic differentiation among provenances of different seed transfer zones is largely unknown.
We assessed the genetic differentiation among eight out of 22 German seed transfer zones for seven common grassland species (Arrhenatherum elatius, Centaurea jacea, Daucus carota, Galium album, Hypochaeris radicata, Knautia arvensis and Lychnis flos-cuculi) using AFLP markers. We analysed genetic population structure with AMOVA and Bayesian cluster analysis and tested for isolation by distance and isolation by environment.
In all of the investigated species, almost all pairs of provenances were genetically differentiated. Bayesian cluster analysis revealed species-specific numbers and spatial patterns of gene pools, with between two (Arrhenatherum) and eight clusters (Lychnis). Most investigated seed transfer zones represented a unique gene pool in the majority of the species.
We found isolation by distance in four species, isolation by environment, driven by climatic seasonality, in three species, and a lack of both in three species. Thus, the observed genetic differentiation appears to be caused by both neutral and adaptive processes.
Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that grassland plants are indeed strongly genetically differentiated across Germany supporting the strategy of seed transfer zones for ecological restoration. Although the predefined seed transfer zones are unlikely to match the exact genetic structure of many species, they serve their purpose by capturing a substantial amount of intraspecific genetic variation across species.

草原生态修复愈发依赖源自预设种子迁移区（seed transfer zones）的本土种子。然而，不同种子迁移区的种源间遗传分化程度与空间格局，目前尚未被充分探明。
本研究采用扩增片段长度多态性（AFLP）标记，对德国22个种子迁移区中的8个，针对7种常见草原植物（Arrhenatherum elatius、Centaurea jacea、Daucus carota、Galium album、Hypochaeris radicata、Knautia arvensis及Lychnis flos-cuculi）的种源间遗传分化水平进行了评估。我们通过分子变异分析（AMOVA）与贝叶斯聚类分析对遗传种群结构展开解析，并检验了距离隔离与环境隔离效应。
在所有受试物种中，几乎所有种源对均呈现出遗传分化。贝叶斯聚类分析揭示了各物种特有的基因库数量与空间格局，聚类组数量介于2个（Arrhenatherum）至8个（Lychnis）之间。多数受试种子迁移区在大多数物种中均对应独特的基因库。
本研究在4个物种中检测到距离隔离效应，在3个物种中检测到由气候季节性驱动的环境隔离效应，另有3个物种未表现出上述两种隔离效应。由此可见，观测到的遗传分化似乎由中性过程与适应性过程共同塑造。
综合与应用。本研究证实，德国境内的草原植物确实存在显著的跨区域遗传分化，这为草原生态修复采用种子迁移区策略提供了科学支撑。尽管预设的种子迁移区未必能完全契合多数物种的精确遗传结构，但它们能够捕获各物种内大量的种内遗传变异，从而达成其应用目标。