title: Limited genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity detected for cavitation resistance in a Mediterranean pine.
abstract: Resistance to cavitation is a major determinant of plant survival under severe drought and can be used to quantify species adaptive potential. Interspecific variation in this key trait is well defined in woody species, but intraspecific variation (level and structure) resulting from standing genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity has never been determined. Combining for the first time in situ characterization of natural populations and two reciprocal common gardens in dry and wet sites, we estimated variance components (phenotypic, genetic, environmental, and genetic × environmental) of cavitation resistance based on 513 genotypes of a Mediterranean pine, Pinus pinaster. Despite the selected populations being climatically contrasted, phenotypic plasticity in resistance to cavitation remained low and was essentially attributed to family level. Between-population variation in cavitation resistance for both phenotypic and genetic variation was limited. These results strongly suggest that cavitation resistance is buffered against genetic and to a lesser extent environmental variation (canalization) in maritime pine. Consequently, in a drier world, the increasing drought tolerance of Pinus species might be severely constrained by the low level of cavitation resistance variation, resulting in a large-scale loss of productivity.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33610, Cestas, France.|INRA, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lamy
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33610, Cestas, France.|Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33405, Talence, France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delzon
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33610, Cestas, France.|Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33405, Talence, France.
authors.forename: Pauline S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bouche
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Forestales, CIFOR - INIA, Carretera de La Coruña km 7.5, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alia
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Sezione di Firenze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Giuseppe
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Vendramin
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR547 PIAF, BP 10448, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cochard
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33610, Cestas, France.|Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, F-33405, Talence, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plomion
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D014644:Genetic Variation; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D010641:Phenotype; D028223:Pinus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012987:Soil; D052584:Xylem / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Pinus pinaster; QST/FST comparison; drought tolerance; genetic variation; phenotypic plasticity; provenance-progeny trial; resistance to cavitation