The genus Populus consists of many ecologically and economically important forest tree species. Their rapid growth makes them one of the most productive hardwoods growing in temperate latitudes. Populus spp. frequently hybridize where their ranges overlap, and poplar hybrids are the most frequently planted genotypes for fiber production. To better understand the genomics of hybridization in Populus, we sampled and sequenced the genome of 574 poplar trees from six east-west transects across the hybrid zone between Populus trichocarpa and Populus balsamifera in western North America. I used these data to characterize population structure within and between transects, and hybridization between the species. There was a consistent transition from greater P. balsamifera ancestry in the north and east to greater P. trichocarpa ancestry in the south and west. Hybridization between the species was common across each of the six transects, though more common in colder climates. The results also showed that both latitude and longitude affect the genetic structure of this species complex, and that subtle introgression from P. balsamifera may facilitate adaptation of P. trichocarpa to colder climates. / Master of Science / The genus Populus has many ecologically and economically important forest tree species. Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) are two such species, both for fiber production and models for understanding tree biology and adaptation. Whereas black cottonwood is distributed close to the west coast of North America from California through Alaska, balsam poplar mostly occurs across the interior of Canada from Newfoundland through Alberta. Where their ranges overlap, the species often hybridize. In this study, we used genome sequencing of trees collected across six east-west transects from Washington state through British Columbia, Canada, and Alaska to understand genetic variation and the geography of hybridization. I found evidence of widespread hybridization across all transects. While the influence of P. balsamifera was extensive in northern populations, a large number of pure P. trichocarpa were found in southern populations. The transition from P. trichocarpa to P. balsamifera was also steeper in the south than the north, with a narrower hybrid zone in the south. Additionally, I found that gene flow among some populations was limited by temperature and geographical barriers. Taken together, my results suggest genetic structure and hybridization within and between these species is driven by climate variation, and that P. balsamifera ancestry may help northern P. trichocarpa populations adapt to their local environments.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/107441 |
| Date | 06 January 2022 |
| Creators | Can, Muhammed Furkan |
| Contributors | Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Holliday, Jason A., Brunner, Amy Marie, Hallerman, Eric M. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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