Climate-associated genomic differentiation in Lemmon’s willow, an important restoration species
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Restoration practitioners are considering assisted gene flow to promote persistence of restored vegetation under future climatic conditions. However, for many important restoration species, the extent of climate-associated genomic differentiation remains unclear. Here, we examined climate-associated genomic differentiation in Lemmon’s willow (Salix lemmonii), a key species in Sierra Nevada meadow restoration, across 40 montane meadows in California’s Tahoe National Forest (mean pairwise distance = 31 km). Using ddRADseq-derived allele frequencies and 270 m-resolution climate data, we tested for associations between climate and genomic variation, while accounting for geography and population structure. Climate explained 10% of among-population allele-frequency variation. Two complementary genotype-environment association methods identified a shared set of 15 outlier loci, which were associated with spring snowpack, actual evapotranspiration, and potential evapotranspiration. Between-site differences in potential evapotranspiration were also associated with overall pairwise genetic differentiation. Together, these results reveal climate-associated genomic differentiation in an important restoration species and highlight multiple components of hydrology as important factors shaping genomic variation. The relatively fine spatial scale of climate-associated differentiation suggests practitioners may be able to access material for climate-informed restoration plantings within tens of kilometers or less.
DOI: 10.32942/x21t3b
Authors: Kyle Rosenblad, David Ackerly
Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213357002