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

1. 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. 2. 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, 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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.

1. 草地生态修复愈发依赖源自预设种子转移区（seed transfer zone）的本土种子。然而，不同种子转移区的种源间遗传分化程度与空间格局，目前仍未被充分阐明。2. 本研究借助扩增片段长度多态性（Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism, AFLP）标记，针对德国22个预设种子转移区中的8个，对7种常见草地植物的种源遗传分化展开分析，供试物种分别为：高燕麦草（Arrhenatherum elatius）、普通矢车菊（Centaurea jacea）、野胡萝卜（Daucus carota）、白花猪殃殃（Galium album）、猫儿菊（Hypochaeris radicata）、田野山萝卜（Knautia arvensis）及剪夏罗（Lychnis flos-cuculi）。研究采用分子变异分析（Analysis of Molecular Variance, AMOVA）与贝叶斯聚类分析对种群遗传结构进行解析，并分别检验了距离隔离与环境隔离效应。3. 在所分析的所有物种中，几乎所有种源对之间均存在显著遗传分化。贝叶斯聚类分析结果显示，不同物种拥有其特有的基因库数量与空间分布格局，聚类组数量从2个（高燕麦草）到8个（剪夏罗）不等。在多数供试物种中，绝大多数被研究的种子转移区对应独特的基因库。4. 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节律驱动的环境隔离效应，剩余3个物种则未表现出上述两种隔离效应。由此可见，观测到的遗传分化同时由中性过程与适应性过程共同塑造。5. 总结与应用。本研究证实，德国境内的草地植物确实存在显著的跨区域遗传分化，这为草地生态修复采用种子转移区策略提供了科学支撑。尽管预设的种子转移区未必能完全匹配多数物种的精确遗传结构，但它们能够捕获跨物种的大量种内遗传变异，足以达成其应用目标。