Environmental and landscape genomics of Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce)
reveals clusters of loci involved with both resistance to wintering and
increases in height.
Abstract
Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) occupies a large number of host
environments across the Pacific Northwest, stretching from California to
Alaska. Populations have become locally adapted to their environmental
niche rather than undergoing speciation and these local adaptions can be
discovered and utilised for breeding programs. These local adaptions may
contain traits which can confer increased resilience against climate
change. Here we employed Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS),
Genotype Environment Analysis (GEA) and Canonical correlation analysis
to discover adaptive loci. A total of 593 adaptive loci were discovered
from the GEA. The GWAS found eight loci involved with height and one
with diameter at breast height. The canonical correlation analysis
allowed for the discovery of positive and negative correlated loci with
traits or environmental variables. We discovered 121 loci positively
correlated with environmental values and 10 loci positively correlated
with phenotypic traits. We discovered one cluster of adaptive loci
involved with snowy winter conditions and two clusters showing
adaptation to southern locations characterised with milder conditions.
The allelic distribution of positive and negatively correlated loci
involved with height showed a north south divide with loci positively
correlated with height being distributed below a latitude of 50oN. This
shows adaptations for height are generally found south of the 50th
latitude. We have discovered signs of local adaptation, with Minor
Allele Frequency (MAF) differing between northern and southern
populations.