Academic literature on the topic 'Altitudinal variation'

Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. is the forest species most important economically in the state of Michoacán, at central-west México. We investigated genetic variation among P. pseudostrobus populations along an altitudinal gradient in the native indian community of Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán, México. Cones were collected from eight populations at 100 m of altitudinal intervals between 2200 m and 2900 m. Seedlings were grown for approximately two years in two shadehouse environments at Morelia, Michoacán, México and at Moscow, Idaho, USA. Total height was periodically measured during the second growing season to estimate a series of growth indexes for both locations, and dry weights were obtained only for the Morelia test. For the Moscow test there were significant differences (P < 0.05) among populations for cessation of growth, duration of the growth period, and final height. For the Morelia tests there were differences among populations for foliage, shoot and total dry weight (P < 0.025), and significant differences for stem dry weight at P = 0.055 level. There was a strong altitudinal cline for dry weight variables, with seedlings originated from populations from the lowest altitudes having more biomass (r2 = 0.80, P = 0.003). Populations separated altitudinally by about 295 m are likely to be genetically different. We suggest delineation of three altitudinal seed zones (Zone I: 2100 m to 2400 m; Zone II: 2400 m to 2700 m; Zone III: 2700 m to 3000 m), that can be translated into climatic zones delimited according to mean annual temperatures or by degree days > 5 °C. To accommodate climate change we suggest implementing assisted migration programs by transferring populations 300 m upwards to maintain adaptiveness of populations for future climates.

Aiming to determine if there is genetic differentiation among Pinus patula Schiede et Chamizo populations along an altitudinal gradient and for quantifying the genotype x environment interaction, 13 Pinus patula populations were sampled from forests of the Native Indian Community of Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, state of México, along an altitudinal gradient (2400 m to 3000 m), cones being collected on groups of trees on every 50 m of altitudinal step). Seedlings were grown in tree pots in two different environments: a shadehouse located at Ixtlán de Juárez, and in a greenhouse and then in a shadehouse situated at Quebec, Canada. Total seedling height was measured at 6-months of age in both locations. Results indicated that populations differed significantly (P = 0.025), but there was no significant genotype x environment interaction (P = 0.426; B type genetic correlation = 0.93). Population from 2650 m (middle altitude) exhibited the best height. Although not definitive, our study suggests the presence of a weak altitudinal pattern of variation in seedling height, where populations originating of mid-altitudes exhibit the highest growth potential while populations from the upper and lower altitudinal extremes exhibit the lowest growth potential.

In the southern Andes near 40ºS, altitudinal treelines are dominated by Nothofagus pumilio, a broadleaf deciduous angiosperm in the beech family (Fagaceae). Treeline elevations, ranging from 1100 to 1500 m a.s.l., are influenced by regional climate and volcanism. At the local scale, disturbance influences treeline elevation, ecotone length, and vegetation productivity. Decadal and interannual variation in climate related to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly affected radial growth of krummholz trees and seedling demography; however, climate-treeline relations were complex. Radial growth of krummholz trees and seedling demography responded differently to climate variation. These relations differed between climate regions and were unstable through time. We conclude that inter-annual variations in climate, such as those associated with ENSO, will be critical for successful reproduction and growth of Nothofagus pumilio at treeline in the Andes under the influence of global warming. Key words:Argentina, Chile, climate change, disturbance, forest dynamics, global warming, northern Patagonia, Nothofagus pumilio, South America, timberline

Abstract Three Anthoxanthum species are found in Poland: the native A. odoratum L. s. str. and A. alpinum Á. Löve & D. Löve, and the alien A. aristatum Boiss. Major problems within this genus concern: (1) population variation of the native A. odoratum, representing various phases of ecological expansion to anthropogenic habitats; (2) population variation of A. odoratum and A. alpinum along the altitudinal transect; and (3) variation between populations of A. aristatum colonizing new areas and habitats outside its natural range of distribution (chorological expansion). In this study, morphological and anatomical variation of the three Polish Anthoxanthum species was analysed in detail. The variation of A. odoratum and A. aristatum was analysed in respect of environmental differences: habitat types and soil parameters. In the Babia Góra massif, variability distribution along the altitudinal transect was analysed for two vicariants: A. odoratum and A. alpinum. A odoratum in this massif does not cross the upper forest limit (i.e. forest line), and lower montane populations are morphologically very similar to lowland populations. Morphological and anatomical differences were detected between populations of A. alpinum along the altitudinal transect in the Babia Góra massif, with distinct upper montane populations. Moreover, clear morphological differences were found between the two altitudinal vicariants. Lowland populations of A. odoratum are characterized by great morphological variation, only weakly correlated with the type of occupied habitat and the phase of ecological expansion. The detected morphological variation reflects only to a limited extent the environmental variation of occupied habitats, and is not significantly correlated with the phase of chorological expansion. Some soil parameters are significantly correlated with some morphological characters studied in all the Anthoxanthum species. The analysed anatomical features of stems and leaves show continuous variation in the three species.

Fourteen tree-ring width chronologies were developed along three altitudinal gradients for three mountain ranges in arid north central China. The chronology statistics, combined with results of a rotated principle component analysis (RPCA), suggest that physiological gradients play a more important role in determining tree-growth patterns than altitudinal gradients. As indicated by climate-growth relationships, temperature is mainly related to the low-frequency tree-ring variability, while precipitation is more influential on the high-frequency tree-ring variability. At the low-frequency band, chronologies across species from lower and upper forest limits were generally well correlated, except at the upper site of the Xinglong Mountain. It is plausible that similar temperature-shaped climate-growth relationships in the low-frequency domain may lead to similar growth patterns at this frequency band. Regarding the differing results for the Xinglong Mountain, our interpretation is that the changed growth patterns resulted from the varying climate-growth correlation patterns along the larger altitudinal gradients. The temperature and precipitation limitations for tree growth decrease along the increasing altitudinal gradients.

AbstractIn order to determine the genetic variation among populations of Pinus hartwegii along altitudinal gradients, and the possible adaptive decoupling due to climatic change, a common garden test was set up with 13 provenances collected along an altitudinal transect (3150 to 3750 masl; collection sites were every 50 m of altitudinal difference) from Pico de Tancítaro, Michoacán, west-central Mexico. The test evaluated trees aged 4.5 to 5.5 years, and contemporary and future (year 2030; six model-emission scenarios) climate variables were estimated. We found significant (P<0.005) differences among populations in total elongation, final seedling height, basal diameter, rate of elongation, dry weight of needles, branches and stem, total dry weight and first principal component. We found a significant association between population performance, expressed as first principal component values, and their climate, where the best climatic predictor was the frost free period (r2=0.90, P<0.0001). This result indicates that the patterning of genetic differentiation among populations is strongly associated with a climatic and altitudinal gradient. We propose a re-delineation of fixed climatic and altitudinal seed zoning for seed and seedling movement, based on intervals of 26 days of difference of frost free period: Zone 1, from 240 to 214 days of frost free period or 12 to 11°C or 3150 to 3350 masl; Zone 2, 214 to 188 days or 11 to 10°C or 3350 to 3550 masl; and Zone 3, 188 to 162 days or 10 to 9°C or 3550 a 3750 masl. Projecting at what altitude will occur the same frost free period values by year 2030, we suggested that populations should be shifted 400 m attitudinally upward, through a program of assisted migration, aiming to realign the populations to the climate for which they are adapted. Seedling deployment should use future (year 2030) fixed seed zones, with the same projected climatic interval values than contemporary climate, although at the following altitudinal limits: Zone 12030, from 3550 to 3750 masl; Zone 22030, 3750 to 3950 masl; and Zone 32030, 3950 to 4150 masl.

Abstract:The functional composition of plant communities in montane regions has been studied for decades, and most recent analyses find that environmentally favourable landscapes at lower altitudes tend to be dominated by species with resource-acquisitive traits, while more resource-conservative taxa dominate higher-altitude communities. However, it is unclear the extent to which this pattern is driven by co-gradient variation within clades or changes in clade representation across the gradient. To test for co-gradient variation, species composition, phylogenetic structure and functional traits were quantified for 97 species within the plant family Melastomataceae at five locations across a 2500-m altitudinal gradient along Volcán Barva in Costa Rica. Average melastome leaf force to punch, specific leaf area and leaf size vary with altitude, while four other functional traits do not. Taxonomic dissimilarity between communities was correlated with altitudinal difference, while phylogenetic dissimilarity was correlated with altitudinal dissimilarity only when measured with a metric that emphasizes shallow turnover of the tips of the phylogeny. These results highlight how species turnover may be more pronounced than functional or phylogenetic variation along altitudinal gradients. In addition, these results highlight the conservation value of lowland tropical forests, which here harbour a disproportionate amount of phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Global declines and disappearances of amphibians from high altitude, pristine habitats have been reported in recent years. To date the cause of many of these declines and/or disappearances has not been identified. Although it is well documented that life history characteristics of temperate amphibians are influenced by altitude (due to systematic variation of temperature with altitude), little work has been carried out on the effects of altitude on Australian anurans. This lack of ecological data is a major impediment to identifying the causal factors responsible for amphibian declines. Due to differences in life history characteristics, high altitude populations may be less resilient than their lowland counterparts and subsequently may be more vulnerable to extinction. Consequently, the main aim of this study was to determine whether altitude influenced life history characteristics and ultimately population resilience of anurans in the southeast Queensland region. Six anuran species; Litoria chloris, L. lesueuri, L. pearsoniana (Anura: Hylidae), Mixophyes fasciolatus, M. fleayi and M. iteratus (Anura: Myobatrachidae) were studied over three field seasons (1997-1999) in 18 sites of varying altitude (100-950m) in the southeast Queensland region. The life history characteristics examined were: activity and breeding season length, fecundity and egg size, number of clutches produced per season, tadpole growth and development rates, longevity, age at maturity, reproductive life span, average lifetime fecundity, survival and recapture rates. The data were collected using a combination of field-based surveys (body sizes, clutch sizes, and survival and recapture rates), museum specimen dissections (clutch and egg sizes), reciprocal transplant field experiments (tadpole growth and development rates) and skeletochronology (longevity, age at maturity, reproductive lifespan and average lifetime fecundity). On average, high altitude populations of all species had shorter breeding and activity seasons than low altitude populations (up to 10 weeks less in some cases). The magnitude of the difference in breeding season length varied among years depending on the average temperature and rainfall for the year; i.e. differences appeared greater in warmer and wetter years. Within a population males had longer breeding and activity seasons than females. Although breeding season length varied with altitude, the number of nights that individuals were active within the breeding season did not vary; i.e. low altitude populations were not active for more nights despite having a longer breeding season. This result was attributed to the absence of a relationship between individual activity and environmental variables (air temperature, rainfall, etc.) in many of the populations. Generally, intraspecific clutch size did not vary significantly with altitude. This result was due to the absence of a significant relationship between female body size and altitude (as clutch size is proportional to female body size). Egg size also did not vary with altitude however, suggesting egg size may be canalized (i.e. fixed) in these species. Results also suggest that females of these species only produce one clutch of eggs per season. Interspecific differences in reproductive characteristics largely reflected differences in reproductive mode, larval habitat and female body size. Altitude negatively influenced growth and development rates in L. chloris and development rates in L. pearsoniana. Tadpoles raised at high altitudes were also generally larger at each Gosner Development Stage in both species. The results of the reciprocal transplant experiments suggested that most of the variation in growth and development rates was due to environmental factors (water temperature) rather than genetic or maternal factors. Altitude or genetic factors did not significantly affect tadpole survival in either species. The results suggest that tadpoles occurring at high altitudes take longer to reach metamorphosis and do so at a larger size than their lowland counterparts. With the exception of L. lesueuri, skeletochronology was suitable for age estimation in the study species. Altitude had a significant effect on the age at maturity or longevity in some of the species, however there were trends toward older individuals and older ages at maturity in high altitude populations for the remaining species. Females were generally older than males for all species and in the case of longer-lived species (i.e. Mixophyes spp.) also tended to be older when breeding for the first time. The large overlap of body sizes of individuals of different ages demonstrates that body size is a poor indicator of age in these species. This is the first study to estimate average lifetime fecundity for more than one amphibian species and/or population. The results suggest that the absence of significant altitudinal variation in the average lifetime fecundity of different populations is due to tradeoffs made by females (current reproduction vs. survival). There was no significant altitudinal variation in annual survival and recapture rates in any of the species, and generally there was no difference in the survival and recapture rates of males and females in each population. Within a year, monthly survival and recapture rates were more variable at low than high altitudes and this was attributed to the longer breeding season of low altitude populations. The results did not support previous studies that suggested there was a size bias in survival and recapture rates. The shorter breeding seasons, slower growth and development rates, older age at maturity and greater longevity found in the high altitude study populations will result in increased generation time in those populations. In turn, increased generation time can cause high altitude populations to be less resilient (i.e. population takes longer to return to equilibrium after a disturbance away from equilibrium) (Pimm et al. 1988, Pimm 1991) and ultimately more vulnerable or prone to extinction or decline. The majority of unexplained global amphibian declines have occurred at high altitudes in tropical and subtropical areas. These latitudinal patterns may be explained by the narrow range of environmental tolerances exhibited by tropical organisms resulting in mountains being effectively “higher” in the tropics. Consequently, high altitude tropical species are likely to be even more vulnerable than temperate species occurring at similar altitudes. Further work on the effects of geographic variation, especially interactions between altitude and latitude are needed to evaluate the hypotheses for the causes of these declines and disappearances.

Dans cette thèse, j'examine la dynamique de l'investissement parental et la fitness chez la mésange bleue eurasienne (Cyanistes caeruleus) dans les Pyrénées françaises, et j'évalue les différences potentielles dues à un gradient altitudinal qui crée une variation de "dureté" environnementale. J'ai utilisé de données observationnelles et expérimentales, recueillies de plus de 500 nids de mésanges bleues. Les conditions de reproduction sont " plus dures " en cas de températures plus froides et d'une élévation croissante. J'ai trouvé que l'altitude croissante conduit à une diminution du succès de l'éclosion. Néanmoins, la taille des couvées et la mortalité des couvées sont comparables à travers le gradient. Je suggère que les décisions initiales en matière de procréation, telles que le moment et la quantité de progéniture, déterminent fortement le succès d'une tentative de reproduction. Ces résultats ont des implications pour notre compréhension du succès de reproduction
In this thesis, I examine parental investment and fitness in the Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) in the French Pyrenees and assess potential differences due to an altitudinal gradient that creates variation in environmental "harshness". I used observational and experimental data, collected from over 500 blue tit nests. Breeding conditions are "harsher" due to colder temperatures with increasing elevation. I found that increasing altitude leads to decreased hatching success. Nevertheless, clutch size and brood mortality is comparable across the gradient. I suggest that initial reproductive decisions such as timing and amount of offspring produced heavily shape the success of a reproductive attempt. These results have implications for understanding reproductive success

Altitudinal gradients offer attractive opportunities for studies of population differentiation in response to environmental heterogeneity. In this thesis, I examined population differentiation along altitudinal gradients by combining common-garden experiments with field studies and experiments in alpine, subalpine and boreal populations of the perennial herb Solidago virgaurea. More specifically, I determined whether leaf physiology in terms of nitrogen concentration and resorption, flowering phenology, flower production and reproductive effort vary along altitudinal gradients. Nitrogen concentration in green leaves were higher in alpine than in subalpine and boreal populations. These differences persisted when plants were grown from seeds in a common-garden experiment at two sites, suggesting that the differences have a genetic component. There was mixed support for a trade-off between maximized carbon gain through the maintenance of high nitrogen concentration, and minimized nitrogen loss through high resorption. In their natural habitats alpine populations began flowering later than subalpine populations, but this difference was reversed when plants were grown in a common environment. This suggests that genetic differences among populations counteract environmental effects and reduce phenotypic variation in flowering time among populations. Flowering time thus shows countergradient genetic variation in S. virgaurea. In a common-garden experiment, boreal populations produced more flowers and had a higher reproductive effort than subalpine and alpine populations indicating habitat-specific genetic differences in reproductive allocation. In a field study, which included three populations, seed set was close to zero in the alpine population, intermediate in the subalpine population, and high in the boreal population. Experimental flower removal showed that seed production was associated with a considerable cost in terms of reduced flowering propensity the following year, but did not support the hypothesis that a large floral display is important for pollination success.

Les deux sous-espèces annuelles de téosinte qui sont les plus proches parents sauvages du maïs sont d’excellents systèmes pour étudier l’adaptation locale car leur distribution couvre un large éventail de conditions environnementales. Zea mays ssp. parviglumis est distribuée dans un habitat chaud et mésique en dessous de 1800 m d’altitude, tandis que Zea mays ssp. mexicana prospère dans des conditions sèches et fraîches à des altitudes plus élevées. Nous avons combiné des approches d’écologie inverse et de génétique association afin d’identifier les déterminants de l'adaptation locale chez ces téosintes. A partir de données de séquençage haut débit (HTS) de six populations comprenant des populations de basses et hautes altitudes, une étude précédente a identifié un sous-ensemble de 171 polymorphismes nucléotidiques (SNP candidats) présentant des signaux de sélection. Nous avons utilisé ces SNP candidats pour tester l'association entre la variation génotypique et phénotypique de 18 caractères. Notre panel d’association était constitué de 1663 plantes provenant de graines de 11 populations échantillonnées le long de deux gradients d’altitude. Il a été évalué deux années consécutives dans deux jardins communs. Nous avons contrôlé sa structure neutre en utilisant 18 marqueurs microsatellites. La variation phénotypique a révélé l’existence d'un syndrome altitudinal composé de dix caractères. Nous avons ainsi observé une augmentation de la précocité de floraison, une diminution de la production de talles et de la densité en stomates des feuilles ainsi qu’une augmentation de la taille, de la longueur et du poids des grains avec l’élévation croissante du site de collecte des populations. Ce syndrome a évolué malgré des flux de gènes détectables entre populations. Nous avons montré que le pourcentage de SNP candidats associés aux différents caractères dépend de la prise en compte de la structure neutre soit en cinq groupes génétiques (71,7%), soit en onze populations (11,5%), indiquant une stratification complexe. Nous avons testé les corrélations entre les variables environnementales et les fréquences alléliques des SNP candidats sur 28 populations. Nous avons trouvé un enrichissement à la fois pour les SNP présentant des associations phénotypiques et les SNP présentant des corrélations environnementales dans trois larges inversions chromosomiques, confirmant leur rôle dans l'adaptation locale. Pour explorer la contribution de la variation structurale à l'évolution adaptative, nous nous sommes concentrés sur le contenu en éléments transposables (ET) des six populations séquencées (HTS). Ces éléments constituent environ 85% du génome du maïs et contribuent à sa variabilité fonctionnelle. Nous avons effectué la première description populationnelle des ET chez les téosintes pour deux catégories d'insertions, celles présentes et celles absentes du génome de référence du maïs. Nous avons ensuite recherché des polymorphismes liés aux ET présentant des fréquences alléliques contrastées entre populations de basse et de haute altitude. Nous avons identifié un sous-ensemble d'insertions candidates. Enfin, nous avons génotypé, dans un panel d'association, des insertions d’ET connues pour avoir contribué à l'évolution phénotypique du maïs. Contrairement à ce qui a été observé chez le maïs, certaines de ces insertions n'ont montré aucun effet phénotypique chez les téosintes, ce qui suggère que leur effet dépend du fond génétique. Notre étude apporte de nouvelles connaissances sur l’adaptation altitudinale chez les plantes. Elle ouvre la discussion sur les défis soulevés par l'utilisation (1) d'outils de génomique des populations pour identifier la variation adaptative, (2) de populations naturelles en génétique d’association, et (1) de ressources génétiques sauvages pour l'amélioration des espèces cultivées
Annual teosintes, the closest wild relatives of maize, are ideal systems to study local adaptation because their distribution spans a wide range of environmental conditions. Zea mays ssp. parviglumis is distributed in warm and mesic conditions below 1800 m, while Zea mays ssp. mexicana thrives in dry and cool conditions at higher altitudes. We combined reverse ecology and association mapping to mine the determinants of local adaptation in annual teosintes. Based on high throughput sequencing (HTS) data from six populations encompassing lowland and highland populations growing along two elevation gradients, a previous study has identified candidate regions displaying signals of selection. Within those regions a subset of 171 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was selected to test their association to phenotypic variation at 18 traits. Our association panel encompassed 1663 plants from seeds collected from eleven populations sampled along the elevation gradients. We benefit from phenotypic characterization of all the plants in two common gardens located at mid-altitude for two years. In addition, we controlled for neutral structure of the association panel using 18 microsatellite markers. Phenotypic variation revealed the components of an altitudinal “syndrome” constituted of ten traits evolving under spatially-varying selection. Plants flowered earlier, produced less tillers, displayed lower stomata density and carried larger, longer and heavier grains with increasing elevation of population collection site. This syndrome evolved in spite of detectable gene flow among populations. The percentage of candidate SNPs associated with traits largely depended on whether we corrected for five genetic groups (71.7%) or eleven populations (11.5%), thereby indicating a complex stratification in our association panel. We analyzed correlations between environmental variables and allele frequencies of candidate SNPs on a larger set of 28 populations. We found enrichment for SNPs displaying phenotypic associations and environmental correlations in three Mb-scale chromosomal inversions, confirming the role of these inversions in local adaptation. To further explore the contribution of structural variation to adaptive evolution, we focused on transposable element (TE) content of the HTS populations. TEs constitute ~85% of the maize genome and contribute to its functional variability via gene inactivation and modulation of gene expression. We performed the first population-level description of TEs in teosintes for two categories of insertions, those present and those absent from the maize reference genome. We next searched for TE polymorphisms with contrasted allele frequencies between lowland and highland populations. We pinpointed a subset of adaptive candidate insertions. Finally, we genotyped in our association panel TE insertions known to have contributed to maize phenotypic evolution. In contrast to what was found in maize, some of these insertions displayed no measurable phenotypic effects in teosintes, suggesting that their effect depends on the genetic background. Altogether our study brings new insights into plant altitudinal adaptation. It opens discussions on the challenges raised by the use (1) of population genomic tools to discover adaptive variation, (2) of natural populations in association mapping, and (1) of wild genetic resources in crop breeding

Juniperus seravschanica is a keystone species within the northern mountains of Oman. The species appears to be declining in the area, particularly at lower altitudes, with little regeneration being recorded. Alterations in temperature and moisture availability due to climate change could be main responsible for this decline. The main aim of this research is to identify causes of decline and suggest viable conservation strategies that may have wider application for tree conservation in this region. Surveys indicate considerable foliar dieback of trees at lower altitudes (< 2500 m) with healthy trees limited to cooler (high altitude) or high moisture sites (wadis and depressions). A lack of juvenile trees indicates inadequate recruitment and highlights conservation concerns. Trees growing at low altitude had low growth rates compared to mid-altitude trees. Trees at low altitude produce fewer seeds and these have a lower proportion of viable, embryo intact seed (9%) with a low germination capacity. In controlled conditions, reducing irrigation below optimum reduced growth, even under optimal temperature. In field studies, seeds and young trees, 2 and 5-year-old, were planted at selected altitudes, Low (2220 m), Mid (2300 m) and High (2560 m); the planted trees were maintained under differential irrigation regimes. Planting young trees were more successful than seed sowing when re-establishing plants in the wild. Age of transplant was important with 5-year-old trees showing greater survival (> 97%) than younger stock. Younger stock only succeeded when planted at high altitude or provided with regular artificial irrigation at low altitude. The availability of high soil moisture was important in maintaining tree viability at low altitude; however, in some locations heat stress too may be limiting plant viability and growth. Practical conservation that includes selecting genotypes with greater drought/heat tolerance and augmenting natural habitat with more mature nursery-grown trees is strongly recommended to avoid further loss of this species.

Un enjeu majeur de la génétique évolutive est de comprendre comment l'adaptation locale se développe en population naturelle, et comment les différentes forces évolutives y contribuent. Les études expérimentales d'adaptation locale utilisent couramment les gradients altitudinaux présentant une variation spatiale marquée des conditions environnementales. Dans ces conditions, on s'attend à ce que la différentiation génétique pour les caractères (traditionnellement mesurée par QST) et pour les gènes déterminant ces caractères (traditionnellement mesurée par FSTq) le long du gradient soit gouvernée de façon prédominante par la sélection et les flux de gènes, et peu influencée en revanche par la dérive génétique et la mutation. En particulier, des études théoriques ont montré un découplage entre QST et FST lorsque que les flux de gènes sont forts et/ou que la sélection est récente. Dans cette étude, nous avons testé cette hypothèse en combinant une approche de génomique expérimentale et des simulations dans des populations naturelles de hêtre commun (F. sylvatica) séparées de ~trois kilomètres et soumis à des environnements contrastés.Pour l'approche expérimentale, nous avons échantillonné 4 populations sur deux gradients altitudinaux sur le Mont Ventoux (avec une population à haute altitude et une à basse altitude sur chaque gradient). Cinquante huit gènes potentiellement impliqué dans la réponse aux stress abiotiques et dans le débourrement ont été séquencés sur un total de quatre-vingt seize individus, révélant 581 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). Différentes approches ont été utilisées pour identifier les SNP outlier, présentant une différentiation plus forte qu'attendu sous un modèle neutre sans sélection. Le nombre de SNPs outlier identifié comme étant sous sélection s'est révélé être grandement dépendant de la méthode utilisé. La méthode fréquentiste a détecté de nombreux outliers alors que l'approche bayésienne n'a pu permettre de détecter des SNPs sous sélection. Par ailleurs, nous avons utilisé un modèle mécaniste individu-centré pour simuler les patrons de diversité phénotypique et génétique attendus le long du gradient pour la phénologie du débourrement végétatif, un caractère généralement adaptatif dans la réponse aux variations de température. Les résultats des simulations confirment que la différentiation génétique observée pour le caractère (QST) est généralement plus forte que celle observée au gène (FSTq), et que cette différentiation génétique au trait intervient dès la première génération. Toutefois, les tests d'outlier conduits sur le le modèle simulé ont révélé que plus de 95% des SNPs outlier sont des faux positifs. Comme dans l'approche expérimentale, l'approche Bayésienne ne s'est pas révélé suffisamment fiable pour détecter des QTLs dans des populations spatialement proche et génétiquement faiblement différentiée. Néanmoins une approche multi-locus basée sur un estimateur peu utilisé en génétique (le Zg) a révélé la forte corrélation inter-populations inter-gènes des QTLs confirmant les attendus théoriques. Toutefois, cette approche ne permet pas de détecter précisément les QTLs sans connaissance a priori sur les QTLs. En conclusion, les travaux de cette thèse mettent en évidence la rapidité des changements génétique qui interviennent en moins de 5 générations pendant la modification du climat, et la difficulté de détecter les gènes codant pour des traits complexes
A major challenge in population genetics is to understand the local adaptation process in natural population and so to disentangle the various evolution forces contributing to local adaptation. The experimental studies on local adaption generally resort to altitudinal gradients that are characterized by strong environmental changes across short spatial scales. Under such condition, the genetic differentiation of the functional trait (measured by the Qst) as well as the genes coding for trait (measured by Fstq) are expected to be mainly driven by selection and gene flow. Genetic drift and mutation are expected to have minor effect. Theoretic studies showed a decoupling between Qst and Fst under strong gene flow and / or recent selection. In this study, I tested this hypothesis by combining experimental and modelling genomic approach in natural population of Fagus sylvatica separated by ~3 kilometres and under contrasted environments.Sampling was conducted in south-eastern France, a region known to have been recently colonised by F.sylvatica. Four naturally-originated populations were sampled at both high and low elevations along two altitudinal gradients. Populations along the altitudinal gradients are expected to be subjected to contrasting climatic conditions. Fifty eight candidate genes were chosen from a databank of 35,000 ESTs according to their putative functional roles in response to drought, cold stress and leaf phenology and sequenced for 96 individuals from four populations that revealed 581 SNPs. Classical tests of departure of site frequency spectra from expectation and outlier detection tests that accounted for the complex demographic history of the populations were used. In contrast with the mono-locus tests, an approach for detecting selection at the multi-locus scale have been tested.The results from experimental approaches were highly contrasted according the method highlighting the limits of those method for population loosely differentiated and spatially close. The modelling approach confirmed the results from the experimental data but revealed that up to 95% of the SNPs detected as outliers were false positive. The multi-locus approach revealed that the markers coding for the trait are differentially correlated compared to the neutral SNPs. But this approach failed to detect accurately the markers coding for the trait if no a priori knowledge is known about them. The modelling approach revealed that genetic changes may occur across very few generation. But while this genetic adaptation is measurable at the trait level, the available method for detecting genetic adaptation at the molecular level appeared to be greatly inaccurate. However, the multi-locus approach provided much more promise for understanding the genetic basis of local adaptation from standing genetic variation of forest trees in response to climate change

Photoperiodism is the ability of plants and animals to utilize day length or night length to mitigate seasonal exigencies. The circadian clock allows organisms to organize daily demands. Both process are set by light, and for more than 80 years a functional relationship has been pursued. Previous experiments have revealed, through phenotypic expression, that the daily circadian clock and seasonal photoperiodic timer have evolved independently, yet molecular evidence is lacking. Herein, we use the mosquito, Wyeomyia smithii, to understand the relationship between the photoperiodic response, diapause, and the daily circadian clock. We measured variation in the formal properties of the core circadian clock over a latitudinal and altitudinal gradient which we compare to the critical photoperiod, a measure of diapause, over the same geographic gradient. We found that there is no correlation with any of the formal properties of the core circadian clock and critical photoperiod, indicating independent evolution.

Tropical mountain forests contribute greatly to carbon sequestration and reduction of carbon levels in the atmosphere. In order to achieve the “Reducing Emission from forest deforestation and degradation” (REDD +) objectives, reliable information on carbon sequestration of all forest management areas is required. So, this study aims to determine the amount of above ground carbon bound in trees and how carbon sequestration capacity of trees varies with altitudinal change in the Magamba Nature Forest Reserve. A random stratified coordinate by elevation method was used, measuring approximately 2636 tree of 5<diameter at breast height (DBH) distributed across 29 plots with a total area of 2.03ha. The effect of altitude was tested using ANOVA and Pearson correlation test. The results show that there is a significant (p<0.05) positive correlation between aboveground carbon sequestered and elevation, and that there was significant difference (p<0.02) in the amount of aboveground carbon stored between low elevation (147.5 tones ha-1) mid elevation (244.86 tonnes ha-1) and high elevation (245.4 tones ha-1). The lower amount of carbon at low elevation may be due to anthropogenic activities including logging and fuel production, since it is easier to reach lower altitude than higher altitude forest zone. To improve carbon sequestration capacity of tropical Mountain protected forests, participatory protective measure at lower elevation zones are of importance. These should even be included in management plans, detailing the involvement of adjacent community.