The most advanced Scots pine seed orchard (Västerhus) in Sweden.Hybridization is an important force in plant evolution. It has the potential to quickly generate genetic novelties that promote adaptation and speciation.The evolutionary conse- quences of hybridization are determined by both the intrinsic genetic interactions and environmental selection. To under- stand the relative roles of genetic and ecological components in species diversi cation, we integrate genomic, ecological and functional approaches in comparative studies of hybridizing species that show distinct ecological niche preferences. Cur- rently, we conduct empirical research on the hybrid pine Pinus densata to investigate the genomic patterns of di erentiation and adaptation in pines. Pinus densata is an ancient hybrid spe- cies and forms extensive forest on the Tibetan Plateau. Using this study system, we investigate the genomic architecture of admixed, diverging and divergent populations of the hybrid complex, and how it evolves as diversi cation advances..Marker-based pedigree reconstruction
Effcient use of breeding resources requires a good under- standing of the genetic composition of the founder materials for predicting the gain and diversity in future generations. In Sweden, seed orchard is the link between tree breeding and the production forest. Well-functioning seed orchard is the most cost e cient and realistic way to increase the timber produc- tion from forest land during the coming century. Our research in this area focuses on: 1) the assessment of diversity and coan- cestry in breeding populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies); 2) the mating system in seed orchards of the two species; and 3) the adaptation of orchard crops to natural environments. These activities are in close collaboration with Skogforsk.
Svensk samanfattningKey publications
- Lan, T., Wang, X.-R. & Zeng, Z.-Y. (2013). Structural and functional evolution of positively selected sites in pine GST enzymes. Journal of
- Biological Chemistry 288:24441–24451.
- Torimaru, T., Wennström, U., Lindgren, D. & Wang, X.-R. (2012). Effects of male fecundity, interindividual distance and anisotropic
- pollen dispersal on mating success in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seed orchard. Heredity 108:312-321.
- Wang, B., Mao, J.-F., Gao, J., Zhao, W. & Wang, X.-R. (2011). Colonization of the Tibetan Plateau by the homoploid hybrid pine Pinus
- densata. Molecular Ecology 20: 3796-3811.
- Mao, J.-F. & Wang, X.-R. (2011). Distinct niche shift characterizes the homoploid hybrid speciation of Pinus densata on the Tibetan
- Plateau. The American Naturalist 177:424-439.
- Wang, X.-R., Torimaru, T., Lindgren, D. & Fries, A. (2010). Marker-based parentage analysis facilitates low input ‘breeding without breeding’ strategies for forest trees. Tree Genetics & Genomes 6: 227-235.