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 Populus tremula conservation in Europe
Typically, genetic diversity of European aspen is high, with more diversity within populations than between them (von Wühlisch, 2009). According to the same author, vegetative and clonal propagation is common in European aspen and some natural clones can become very old. Natural hybridization also occurs with white poplar (Populus alba) and artificial hybrids have been produced with other species that are less susceptible to disease (von Wühlisch, 2009). This can increase genetic diversity in the species but also threatens local varieties and adaptations.
In European aspen populations there is weak but significant isolation by distance observed in genetic diversity (Ma et al., 2010). This may be because populations in different geographic regions originated from different refugia where genetic diversity is higher (von Wühlisch, 2009). There is evidence that some glacial refugia existed north of the Alps and recent mixing has occurred between populations from different refugia (von Wühlisch, 2009; Ma et al., 2010). However, some genes and local variants of European aspen are strongly associated with climatic variations (Ingvarsson and Bernhardsson, 2020).
Gene flow in European aspen is very high (Ma et al., 2010). Even marginal populations in Sweden have low levels of genetic differentiation, indicating high gene flow despite large distances separating populations (Ingvarsson and Bernhardsson, 2020). However, the same authors found that some Swedish populations do show differentiation between each other, especially northern and southern populations.
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
No available information.
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Being a pioneer species, requiring light and bare soils with little competing vegetation, European aspen is restricted to marginal or abandoned sites (von Wühlisch, 2009). Therefore, forest management favouring closed cover forests reduces natural regeneration of European aspen (von Wühlisch, 2009). The author noted that suppression of fire or storm damage or other disturbances has reduced European aspen’s distribution and that space for the species to spread into is limited even under unmanaged conditions. Intensive agriculture and silvicultural practices have also removed European aspen habitats over centuries (von Wühlisch, 2009).
Increased gene flow and introduction of genetic variation from southern to northern populations either by natural means or by assisted migration may help northern populations track and adapt to climate changes (Ingvarsson and Bernhardsson, 2020). The success of managed ex situ stands of European aspen depends on the availability of open areas that can be planted or seeded (von Wühlisch, 2009). Even in situ conservation will require active management, with the removal of late successional tree species and clear cutting of small areas to encourage natural regeneration and seeding from adjacent stands (von Wühlisch, 2009). Genetic conservation units should be established across the distribution of the species to maximize captured genetic diversity, with recommended preliminary assessment of genetic diversity of populations (von Wühlisch, 2009). The same author notes the need to create buffer zones and keep genetic conservation units several hundred metres from hybrid aspen plantations to limit introgression and the possible loss of local genetic diversity. Limiting vegetative reproduction will also reduce the potential loss of genetic diversity (von Wühlisch, 2009).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Genetic Characterisation of Populus tremula and its GCUs
Availability of FRM
FOREMATIS
Populus tremula - Technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use for Eurasian aspen
Publication Year: 2009As a colonising species, aspen has under unmanaged conditions only infrequent and unpredictable availability of spaces to spread into, where the prevailing forest vegetation has been destroyed by disturbances from storm, fire and flood. Under managed conditions the ex situ conservation of aspen populations would depend on deliberately creating open areas for new colonisations or actively planting or seeding this area.
As a general objective, the conservation of genetic resources should maintain the long term adaptive potential of populations, e.g. by in situ conservation of autochthonous stands or long term breeding programmes. Successful in situ conservation of Eurasian aspen would require active management. Removal of late successional tree species and clear cutting of small areas of the aspen stand at intervals of about 20-30 years would provide suitable conditions. Natural seeding from adjacent, dispersed parts of the population would then be successful.
Gene conservation units should be spread throughout the distribution range of the species, preferably including more than one per ecological basic unit. A preliminary assessment of the genetic diversity of the candidate populations is recommended to ensure a high amount of diversity and a low number of clones. Particular attention must be paid to all practices that have an impact on flowering habit and the regeneration process, which determines the effective population size. Conditions for self-seeding and seedling establishment should be improved by completely exposing the mineral soil within or close to aspen stands.
For restored populations, introgression can be limited by creating buffer zones around the population by keeping a distance of several hundred meters from possible hybrid aspen plantations. Active management and evaluation of restored populations including possible clone compositions are necessary. Regeneration by root suckers should be minimised as repetitive vegetative regeneration will reduce genetic diversity.
Contacts of experts
NA
Further reading
Pakull, B., Groppe, K., Mecucci, F., Gaudet, M., Sabatti, M., and Fladung, M. 2011. Genetic mapping of linkage group XIX and identification of sex-linked SSR markers in a Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides cross. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 41(2): 245–253.
Pakull, B., Groppe, K., Meyer, M., Markussen, T., and Fladung, M. 2009. Genetic linkage mapping in aspen (Populus tremula L. and Populus tremuloides Michx.). Tree Genetics & Genomes, 5: 505–515.
References
Ingvarsson, P.K. and Bernhardsson, C. 2020. Genome‐wide signatures of environmental adaptation in European aspen (Populus tremula) under current and future climate conditions. Evolutionary Applications, 13(1): 132–142.
Ma, X.F., Hall, D., Onge, K.R.S., Jansson, S., and Ingvarsson, P.K. 2010. Genetic differentiation, clinal variation and phenotypic associations with growth cessation across the Populus tremula photoperiodic pathway. Genetics, 186(3): 1033–1044.
von Wühlisch, G. 2009. EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for genetic conservation and use of Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula). Rome, Bioversity International. 6 pages.
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