Activity No 5

Questionnaire on efficiency on assessment of Adaptive Traits

Fulvio Ducci (Partner 12), fulvio.ducci@entecra.it&

Darius Danusevicius (Partner 15), darius.danusevicius@takas.ltGerry Douglas (Partner 14), Gerry.Douglas@teagasc.ie

Luc Paques (Partner 1), Luc.Paques@orleans.inra.fr

Workshop on

Many different definitions can be found about adaptation and adaptive traits:

• Adaptive Trait: a genetic trait that helps an organism to maximize its reproductive success.

• The Oxford Dictionary of Science : "Any change in the structure or functioning of an organism that makes it better suited to its environment".

• Adaptation is the evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes better able to live in its habitat or habitats.

• Adaptedness is the state of being adapted: the degree to which an organism is able to live and reproduce in a given set of habitats.

• An adaptive trait is an aspect of the developmental pattern of the organism which enables or enhances the probability of that organism surviving and reproducing.

Some definition more…

• Adaptation: Adjustment of a gene pool of a population to a given environment (i.e. ecotypes of spruce adapted to low altitude climate or to high altitude mountain climate) (Nanson 2004) .

• Phenology: The study of the timing of periodic

phenomena such as flowering, growth initiation, growth cessation, etc., especially as related to seasonal changes in temperature, photoperiod, etc. (Wright 1976, Nanson 2004).

Anyway, TBDX Lab. doesn’t consider phenology only………

Regional sharing of Species Monitoring

TBDX species monitored and Partners involved: Pab, Fsy, Fex and Pme are the most investigated, followed by Pav, Pop, Psy. Mainly nordic or higher elevation species.

Species Monitored for adaptive traits in the TBDX area

Pav; 5Pab; 9

Lde; 2

Jre; 2

Fsy; 7Pce; 1

Pme; 7

Fex; 7

Qspp; 4Psy; 5Pra; 1

Psi; 1Pop; 5

spp.; 4 Aal; 2

Aglu; 1Aps; 1

Bpe; 1Csa; 1

spp.

Aal

Aglu

Aps

Bpe

Csa

Fex

Fsy

Jre

Lde

Pab

Pav

Pce

Pme

Pop

Psi

Pra

Psy

Qspp

The pattern of Partners involved in TBDX influences also the higner weight of nosrthern species

Amounto of species monitored by TBDX by Partner

P 1; 6P 3; 3

P 4; 3P 6; 1

P 8; 7

P 9 ; 5P 11; 1P 12; 5P 13; 4P 14; 1

P 15; 6

P 17; 1P 18; 4

P 19; 2

P 20; 5P 21; 1 P 24; 4 P 25; 1 P 27; 1

P 26; 1

P 7; 1

P 1

P 3

P 4

P 6

P 7

P 8

P 9

P 11

P 12

P 13

P 14

P 15

P 17

P 18

P 19

P 20

P 21

P 24

P 25

P 26

P 27

Amount of species monitored by TBDX States

FRA; 6

FRA; 1

BEL; 3

BEL; 3

GER; 1

GER; 1

GER; 7

DEN; 5

UK; 1ITA; 5

IRE; 4

IRE; 1

LIT; 6

NOR; 1

POL; 4

POL; 2

ROM; 5

SPA; 1

SPA; 4SWE; 1SWE; 1

FRAFRABELBELGERGERGERDENUKITAIREIRELITNORPOLPOLROMSPASPASWESWE

Where the monitoring is carried out

3.1 Phenological traits adopted

3.1a. budbreak

32%

3.1b. budset

15%3.1c. flowering

18%

3.1d. leaf fall down

8%

3.1g. shoot elongation

11%

3.1f. hardening

8%

3.1e. leaf color

8%

3.1a. budbreak

3.1b. budset

3.1c. flowering

3.1d. leaf fall down

3.1e. leaf color

3.1g. shoot elongation

3.1f. hardening

3. Other traits adopted

3.2 Survival 35%

3.3. Shoot frost hardiness

14%

3.7 Drought resistance

7%

3.6 Early frost resistance

14%

3.8 Cambial activity4%

3.5 Late frost resistance

19%3.4 Requirement

of chilling temperatures for deep dormancy

release7%

3.2 Survival

3.3. Shoot frosthardiness

3.4 Requirement ofchilling temperatures fordeep dormancy release

3.5 Late frost resistance

3.6 Early frost resistance

3.7 Drought resistance

3.8 Cambial activity

3.9 Other traits or related characters mentioned by Partners

• Related to: .• 1. Maintainance of Apical dominance; • 2.Occurence of spikeknots (autumn-winter frosts) or

double tops; • 3 .Resistance to diseases, • 4. Resistance or avoidance of stress/pests/diseases; • 5. August St. John shoots, • 6 fructification, • 7 Needle cast; • 8. Cell cycle ;• 9. Fructification; • 10. Needle colour.

4.AIMS4.3 Marker assisted selection (MAS) methods?

4%

4.2.2 - selecting for high genotype

x environment interaction?

11%

4.2.1 - selecting for low genotype

x environment interaction?

24%

4.2 Improvement and/or breeding?

29%

4.4 Testing endangered populations?

3%4.1 Studying adaptation variability?

29%

4.1 Studying adaptationvariability?

4.2 Improvement and/orbreeding?

4.2.1 - selecting for lowgenotype x environmentinteraction?

4.2.2 - selecting for highgenotype x environmentinteraction?

4.3 Marker assisted selection(MAS) methods?

4.4 Testing endangeredpopulations?

5. Observation conditions

In nursery34%

In field tests50%

In controlled conditions

16%

In nursery

In f ield tests

In controlledconditions

6b. Scoring method: do you use..

Pictures / draw ings as reference for

stages52%

Descriptors48%

Pictures / draw ings asreference for stages

DescriptorsMethod adopted

1) Scoring the phenological

stages72%

2) Quantitative measurements

28%

1) Scoring thephenological stages

2) Quantitativemeasurements

5. Also Commercial plantations and in greenhouses

Timing

Timing used

The adaptive trait survey/monitoring is carried out one year

only13%

More then one year43%

One assessment per year at a f ixed

date17%

Several assessments per

year27%

The adaptive traitsurvey/monitoring iscarried out one yearonly

More then one year

One assessment peryear at a f ixed date

Several assessmentsper year

Investigated for 10 species: Aglu,Bpe,Fex,Jre,Pab,Pav,Pop,Pra,Psy and Qro

Physio- Requirement kind very poorly used, low knowledge or expensive?

Chilling Units42%

Photoperiod29%

Other29% Chilling Units

Photoperiod

Other

6c. Chilling & photoperiod requirements are the amount of hours or days passed under a minimum stage of temperature or a

minimum/maximum day duration used by trees as a reference for their phenological traits

• Requirements depend on origin of the tested Species/variety.• Minimum requirements can vary according to the altitude and the

latitude of provenance and probably according to the single genotype.

• Flowering, Flower receptivity, Seed germination, Bud set, Bud break, Flushing, Growth cessation and related traits depend on or are influenced by photoperiod, termoperiod, moisture distribution and, in southern countries, on water supply in summer. Those factor can work alone but also combined.

• Most of forest species seem to be unknown by forest tree breeders from this point of view (is that true?). Only Norway spruce, Scots Pine, beech, wild cherry, walnut and chestnut are quite known.

• But it is possible having information for Silver fir, Douglas fir, Larch….

Monitoring in multisite networks is prevailing.

6d, Methods: statistic meaning.

In only one site (local satistic

design)26%

Multisite tests (statistic design)

60%

No experimental design or no

significant amounts of data can be

recorded (arboreta, archives,

germplasm collections),

replicated in only one site

7%

No experimental design or no

significant amounts of data can be

recorded (arboreta, archives,

germplasm collections), but

replicated in more than one site

7%

Multisite tests (statistic design)

In only one site (local satisticdesign)

No experimental design or nosignificant amounts of data canbe recorded (arboreta, archives,germplasm collections), butreplicated in more than one site

No experimental design or nosignificant amounts of data canbe recorded (arboreta, archives,germplasm collections),replicated in only one site

Provenances and progenies are the most investigated

7. Kind of materials monitored

Provenances (intraspecif ic

variation)31%Progenies

25%

Seed orchards15%

Clones18%

Hybrids vs. parental species

adatptation variability?

2%

Species (interspecif ic

variation)9%

Hybrids vs. parental speciesadatptation variability?

Species (interspecif icvariation)

Provenances (intraspecif icvariation)

Progenies

Seed orchards

Clones

For phenologycal stages, crown sector, number of trees monitored and skill of people are the focal points togheter with clear scoring

methods.

10. Efficiency: how the work is organised?

Using the same part of the crow n

23%

Only one skilled person19%

Using extreme conditions sites

4%

Increasing the number of sites

15%

Using the same branch9%

Averaging the score over a team of

observers9%

Increasing the number of trees

21%

Only one skilled person

Averaging the score over a team ofobservers

Using the same part of the crow n

Using the same branch

Increasing the number of trees

Increasing the number of sites

Using extreme conditions sites

12. Advantages:

• Organization aspects:• Quick e cheap. • Good base for statistical evaluations.• Repeatability and comparability.• Photographs allow a relatively fast assessment.• Easy measurements and a high number of data for statistical analysis.• No needed a great experience and hard training

• Methodological and scientific advantages:• Indication of how well matched the source is to local conditions.• Improvements: possibility of analysing the within specie/population variability.• Rather fast, good heritability and thus high precision of breeding value estimates.• Relatively stable assessment• Good heritability and thus high precision of breeding value estimates.• The scoring makes it possible to apply quantitative genetic analysis.• A help in the understanding of mating patterns and seed production.• No needed a great experience• J-M correlation is very high, thus no need for many repeated measuments.• Correlated with stem quality aspects• Knowledge, may provide physiological understanding.• It can help for understanding the provenances range.

13. Major Problems• Organization Problems• Calibration of the team members and Subjective assessment if changing monitoring

teams/persons.• Time consuming. • Need to assess at the right time of the year per each site.• Distances from the sites.• Size of trees: trees must not be too high so you can reach the upper part of the crowns without

major problem. • Using scoring at the ‘right time’ especially with field tests far from the institute without anybody to

observe the plantation.

• Problems connected with the traits or the biology of trees• Time of phenology stages varies by year, needed to repeat several years.• Different phenology stages on different parts of a crown, • Some traits such as bud set and bud burst are very difficult to assess. • In some years (hot springs) too short time to distinguish different stages, • Deviation of phenology due to frost damages.• The measurements will have to be repeteated in case of differences in days in bud burst. • Some data can be lost because of: late frost damage of flower.• the disparition of some monitored trees.• For some trait as top budburst problem is when it has internal damaged .• Differences in survival and phenology maybe caused not only by differences in adaptation and

adaptability but by chance or site difference too.• Weather conditions – sometimes because of long winter, the most trees start flushing at the

same time (small diversification); the same in autumn with leaves coloring because of early hard frosts.

14. What are the benefits of using phenological monitoring ?• Better register of the adaptive capacity of the species.• Climate change assessment at different scales.• Responses of the population and of the off-springs in new environmental

conditions.• selections of genotypes of suitable growth rhythm for specific constant or variable

environments/climates and thus improving growth, quality of stems and wood.• Particularly bud break and bud set are important variables explaining the

geographic differentiation of different species. Their meaning varies with the latitude and altitude.

• variation in responses of parental species and hybrids to climate• Very stable traits in time with few observations needed, and strongly related to

genetic structure.• It may give the answer to the question, which populations you can move to the

other (worse or more variable) conditions, which is very important in situation of possible climate changes.

• select material adapted to local conditions for drought or frost tolerant, high yield, low forking defect, etc.

• flowering synchrony for seed orchards for flowering,• to integrate genetic data variation with adaptive traits variation.• Linking these ground-based observations with the view from space could

enhance our capacity to track the biotic response to climate changes. Trends to earlier spring arrivals include changes in plant species composition, changes in timing and distribution of pests and disease, and potentially disrupted ecological interactions.

Everybody agree with the importance of monitoring for its correlation with quality traits and for the new challenges related to the climate

change effects

16. Future outlook for adaptation monitoring

Increase45%

Decrease6%

Remain the same49%

Increase

Decrease

Remain the same

Conclusion:Phenology is the main driver of tree adaptation. It is linked to many

adaptive, architectural and perhaps wood traits.

Moreover, heritability of phenology is , by far, the highest among all other traits.Additional experimental plots (provenance/progeny/clonal

trials) will be established in the future with other species refering to the climate change problem; the importance of other methods like MAS

will increase – both methods should complete each other.

Assessment of plasticity/stability in the scope of climate change.

Possible climate changes and needs for populations or species with higher plasticity, more resistant to frosts or other unfavourable factors.

Possible future actions:• Nearest future: publishing these results

somewhere (Who?....)

• Next steps:• Establishing a TBDX European Phenology

Network based on the international trials?• Needed to continue the maintainance and the

estabòishment of international common trials on model species. It has been possible in the XIX century, why not nowadays?

• Monitoring should be carried out on ex situ, but also on in situ origin populations.

• Leuven:• Reporting methods of record, pictures d

guidelines;• Having god meth. References;• Reccomendations late frost, early frosts, bud

break, bud set, flush, flowering, color• 2 page of description of pictures and protocol by

traits and species• Physiology studies related to phenolgical

aspects?