To learn more about the map elements, please download the "Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees"
This distribution map has been developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (partly based on the EUFORGEN map) and released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0)
Caudullo, G., Welk, E., San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., 2017. Chorological maps for the main European woody species. Data in Brief 12, 662-666. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2017.05.007
The following experts have contributed to the development of the EUFORGEN distribution maps:
Fazia Krouchi (Algeria), Hasmik Ghalachyan (Armenia), Thomas Geburek (Austria), Berthold Heinze (Austria), Rudi Litschauer (Austria), Rudolf Litschauer (Austria), Michael Mengl (Austria), Ferdinand Müller (Austria), Franz Starlinger (Austria), Valida Ali-zade (Azerbaijan), Vahid Djalal Hajiyev (Azerbaijan), Karen Cox (Belgium), Bart De Cuyper (Belgium), Olivier Desteucq (Belgium), Patrick Mertens (Belgium), Jos Van Slycken (Belgium), An Vanden Broeck (Belgium), Kristine Vander Mijnsbrugge (Belgium), Dalibor Ballian (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Alexander H. Alexandrov (Bulgaria), Alexander Delkov (Bulgaria), Ivanova Denitsa Pandeva (Bulgaria), Peter Zhelev Stoyanov (Bulgaria), Joso Gracan (Croatia), Marilena Idzojtic (Croatia), Mladen Ivankovic (Croatia), Željka Ivanović (Croatia), Davorin Kajba (Croatia), Hrvoje Marjanovic (Croatia), Sanja Peric (Croatia), Andreas Christou (Cyprus), Xenophon Hadjikyriacou (Cyprus), Václav Buriánek (Czech Republic), Jan Chládek (Czech Republic), Josef Frýdl (Czech Republic), Petr Novotný (Czech Republic), Martin Slovacek (Czech Republic), Zdenek Špišek (Czech Republic), Karel Vancura (Czech Republic), Ulrik Bräuner (Denmark), Bjerne Ditlevsen (Denmark), Jon Kehlet Hansen (Denmark), Jan Svejgaard Jensen (Denmark), Kalev Jðgiste (Estonia), Tiit Maaten (Estonia), Raul Pihu (Estonia), Ülo Tamm (Estonia), Arvo Tullus (Estonia), Aivo Vares (Estonia), Teijo Nikkanen (Finland), Sanna Paanukoski (Finland), Mari Rusanen (Finland), Pekka Vakkari (Finland), Leena Yrjänä (Finland), Daniel Cambon (France), Eric Collin (France), Alexis Ducousso (France), Bruno Fady (France), François Lefèvre (France), Brigitte Musch (France), Sylvie Oddou-Muratorio (France), Luc E. Pâques (France), Julien Saudubray (France), Marc Villar (France), Vlatko Andonovski (FYR Macedonia), Dragi Pop-Stojanov (FYR Macedonia), Merab Machavariani (Georgia), Irina Tvauri (Georgia), Alexander Urushadze (Georgia), Bernd Degen (Germany), Jochen Kleinschmit (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Volker Schneck (Germany), Richard Stephan (Germany), H. H. Kausch-Blecken Von Schmeling (Germany), Georg von Wühlisch (Germany), Iris Wagner (Germany), Heino Wolf (Germany), Paraskevi Alizoti (Greece), Filippos Aravanopoulos (Greece), Andreas Drouzas (Greece), Despina Paitaridou (Greece), Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou (Greece), Kostas Thanos (Greece), Sándor Bordács (Hungary), Csaba Mátyás (Hungary), László Nagy (Hungary), Thröstur Eysteinsson (Iceland), Adalsteinn Sigurgeirsson (Iceland), Halldór Sverrisson (Iceland), John Fennessy (Ireland), Ellen O'Connor (Ireland), Fulvio Ducci (Italy), Silvia Fineschi (Italy), Bartolomeo Schirone (Italy), Marco Cosimo Simeone (Italy), Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin (Italy), Lorenzo Vietto (Italy), Janis Birgelis (Latvia), Virgilijus Baliuckas (Lithuania), Kestutis Cesnavicius (Lithuania), Darius Danusevicius (Lithuania), Valmantas Kundrotas (Lithuania), Alfas Pliûra (Lithuania), Darius Raudonius (Lithuania), Robert du Fays (Luxembourg), Myriam Heuertz (Luxembourg), Claude Parini (Luxembourg), Fred Trossen (Luxembourg), Frank Wolter (Luxembourg), Joseph Buhagiar (Malta), Eman Calleja (Malta), Ion Palancean (Moldova), Dragos Postolache (Moldova), Gheorghe Postolache (Moldova), Hassan Sbay (Morocco), Tor Myking (Norway), Tore Skrøppa (Norway), Anna Gugala (Poland), Jan Kowalczyk (Poland), Czeslaw Koziol (Poland), Jan Matras (Poland), Zbigniew Sobierajski (Poland), Maria Helena Almeida (Portugal), Filipe Costa e Silva (Portugal), Luís Reis (Portugal), Maria Carolina Varela (Portugal), Ioan Blada (Romania), Alexandru-Lucian Curtu (Romania), Lucian Dinca (Romania), Georgeta Mihai (Romania), Mihai Olaru (Romania), Gheorghe Parnuta (Romania), Natalia Demidova (Russian Federation), Mikhail V. Pridnya (Russian Federation), Andrey Prokazin (Russian Federation), Srdjan Bojovic (Serbia) , Vasilije Isajev (Serbia), Saša Orlovic (Serbia), Rudolf Bruchánik (Slovakia), Roman Longauer (Slovakia), Ladislav Paule (Slovakia), Gregor Bozič (Slovenia), Robert Brus (Slovenia), Katarina Celič (Slovenia), Hojka Kraigher (Slovenia), Andrej Verlič (Slovenia), Marjana Westergren (Slovenia), Ricardo Alía (Spain), Josefa Fernández-López (Spain), Luis Gil Sanchez (Spain), Pablo Gonzalez Goicoechea (Spain), Santiago C. González-Martínez (Spain), Sonia Martin Albertos (Spain), Eduardo Notivol Paino (Spain), María Arantxa Prada (Spain), Alvaro Soto de Viana (Spain), Lennart Ackzell (Sweden), Jonas Bergquist (Sweden), Sanna Black-Samuelsson (Sweden), Jonas Cedergren (Sweden), Gösta Eriksson (Sweden), Markus Bolliger (Switzerland), Felix Gugerli (Switzerland), Rolf Holderegger (Switzerland), Peter Rotach (Switzerland), Marcus Ulber (Switzerland), Sven M.G. de Vries (The Netherlands), Khouja Mohamed Larbi (Tunisia), Murat Alan (Turkey), Gaye Kandemir (Turkey), Gursel Karagöz (Turkey), Zeki Kaya (Turkey), Hasan Özer (Turkey), Hacer Semerci (Turkey), Ferit Toplu (Turkey), Mykola M. Vedmid (Ukraine), Roman T. Volosyanchuk (Ukraine), Stuart A'Hara (United Kingdom), Joan Cottrell (United Kingdom), Colin Edwards (United Kingdom), Michael Frankis (United Kingdom), Jason Hubert (United Kingdom), Karen Russell (United Kingdom), C.J.A. Samuel (United Kingdom).
Status of Fraxinus angustifolia conservation in Europe
Narrow-leaved ash typically shows high genetic diversity and low to moderate genetic differentiation, as expected in ashes and other wind-pollinated trees (Temunović et al., 2012; Papi, Spanos, and Kyriakidis, 2012). Croatian narrow-leaved ash forests have high genetic diversity, with the Westen Balkans being a refugium during glaciation (Temunović et al., 2012).
Multiple haplotypes have been identified in Greek narrow-leaved ash populations. However, only a few are dominant, and some are found at only small spatial scales, suggesting that population expansions may have originated from the south of the Balkans, including Greece (Papi, Spanos, and Kyriakidis, 2012). Narrow-leaved ash populations in Sicily also have high genetic diversity despite their isolation and are strongly differentiated from other European populations (Abbate et al., 2020).
Genetic structure and diversity of narrow-leaved ash is geographically correlated, being influenced by local ecological conditions and environmental heterogeneity rather than by geographic distances only. However, isolation by distance does not occur (Papi, Spanos, and Kyriakidis., 2012; Temunović et al., 2012). Continental narrow-leaved ash populations have higher genetic diversity and lower genetic differentiation, whereas coastal Mediterranean populations have lower genetic diversity and higher genetic differentiation (Temunović et al., 2012). High habitat heterogeneity can act as a barrier to gene flow, isolating even geographically close populations and the Mediterranean has high environmental heterogeneity over very short distances (Temunović et al., 2012). Continental populations are larger and able to maintain higher genetic diversity, while coastal Mediterranean populations are more isolated, thus gene flow is more limited (Temunović et al., 2012). Additionally, Mediterranean coastal populations are older and have persisted in smaller populations for a long time in environmentally stable regions, further promoting genetic differentiation (Temunović et al., 2012).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Narrow-leaved ash is a close relative of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), sharing haplotypes with only a slight genetic differentiation. However, the two species are clearly genetically separated (Abbate et al., 2020). Hybridizations between these two species occur frequently (Temunović et al., 2012).
Narrow-leaved ash has three subspecies structured by geographical region: Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. angustifolia in the western Mediterranean; Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. oxycarpa in east, central, and south-eastern Europe; and Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. syriaca" in Iran and Türkiye (Abbate et al., 2020).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Narrow-leaved ash faces genetic threats primarily from habitat loss and land-use change, climate change, naturally poor regeneration, and diseases. Ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), which is kills both young and mature trees. Additionally, the cultivation of the species is threatened in the Mediterranean due to ash dieback and less widespread commercial use of its sap, potentially reducing existing populations. Habitat fragmentation reduces genetic diversity and gene flow between populations, increasing vulnerability to environmental changes and disease.
Conservation of narrow-leaved ash includes protecting existing habitats, restoring degraded areas, and establishing seed banks and genetic conservation units. Efforts are also directed towards monitoring and managing disease outbreaks, researching disease-resistant individuals, and promoting the planting of diverse genotypes to ensure a broad genetic base.
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Genetic Characterisation of Fraxinus angustifolia and its GCUs
Availability of FRM
FOREMATIS
Noble Hardwoods Network: Report of the third meeting
Noble Hardwoods Network: Report of the sixth and seventh meeting
Noble Hardwoods Network: Report of the first meeting
Noble Hardwood Network: Report on the fourth and fifth meeting
Contacts of experts
NA
Further reading
Fernández‐Manjarrés, J.F., Gerard, P.R., Dufour, J., Raquin, C., and Frascaria‐Lacoste, N. 2006. Differential patterns of morphological and molecular hybridization between Fraxinus excelsior L. and Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl (Oleaceae) in eastern and western France. Molecular Ecology, 15(11): 3245–3257.
References
Abbate, L., Mercati, F., Di Noto, G., Heuertz, M., Carimi, F., Fatta del Bosco, S. and Schicchi, R., 2020. Genetic distinctiveness highlights the conservation value of a sicilian manna ash germplasm collection assigned to Fraxinus angustifolia (Oleaceae). Plants, 9(8), p.1035.
Papi, R.M., Spanos, K.A., and Kyriakidis, D.A. 2012. Genetic variation of Fraxinus angustifolia natural populations in Greece based on nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers. European Journal of Forest Research, 131: 1151–1161.
Temunović, M., Franjić, J., Satovic, Z., Grgurev, M., Frascaria-Lacoste, N., and Fernández-Manjarrés, J.F. 2012. Environmental heterogeneity explains the genetic structure of continental and Mediterranean populations of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. PLoS ONE 7(8): e42764. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0042764
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