Being Female Matters: Drivers of Spatial Genetic Structure in Clonal White Poplar
- 1Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland
- 2Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
- 3Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Abstract
In plants, Spatial Genetic Structure (SGS) is shaped by gene dispersal and effective population density and is further modulated by life-history traits such as clonality and dioecy. However, the combined effects of these factors on SGS remain unclear, particularly in tree species. Here, we examined how clonal reproduction shapes SGS and whether dioecy compounds this pattern in Populus alba (white poplar), a key component of riparian forests. Using 15 nuclear microsatellite markers and population genetic analyses of 1,068 individuals, we investigated sex-specific patterns in semi-natural and urban stands. In the studied stands, clonal growth predominated, with compact clonal architecture and occasional long-distance spread. Our results indicate that clonality intensifies SGS, with a nearly twofold stronger effect at the ramet level than at the genet level. Our results support the assumption that differences in clonal architecture between female and male individuals can generate sex-specific spatial patterns and thereby influence population genetic structure, with stronger SGS in female ramets (Sp = 0.129 and 0.177 in the semi-natural and urban stands, respectively) than in male ramets (Sp = 0.115 and 0.066). A comparison of semi-natural and urban stands indicates that the intensity of spatial genetic structure reflects the combined effects of clonal structure and habitat-specific factors. Spatio-temporal variation in resource availability and disturbance regimes may contribute to these patterns by influencing population dynamics. Given the degradation of Europe’s riparian forests and the limited knowledge of genetic resources of white poplar, understanding these spatial processes is crucial for informing restoration efforts and the sustainable management of genetic resources of the species. Our study revealed that the observed SGS patterns are strongly habitat-dependent; therefore, the protection and restoration of dynamic riparian forests should adopt an integrated genetic–environmental approach to ensure their long-term adaptive potential under ongoing climate change.
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BibTeX
@article{terlecka2026being,
title = {{Being Female Matters: Drivers of Spatial Genetic Structure in Clonal White Poplar}},
author = {Magdalena Terlecka and Grzegorz Iszkuło and Monika Dering and Mariola Rabska and Łukasz Walas and Katarzyna Sękiewicz},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27208955},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/8955},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Being Female Matters: Drivers of Spatial Genetic Structure in Clonal White Poplar
AU - Magdalena Terlecka
AU - Grzegorz Iszkuło
AU - Monika Dering
AU - Mariola Rabska
AU - Łukasz Walas
AU - Katarzyna Sękiewicz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27208955
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/8955
AB - In plants, Spatial Genetic Structure (SGS) is shaped by gene dispersal and effective population density and is further modulated by life-history traits such as clonality and dioecy. However, the combined effects of these factors on SGS remain unclear, particularly in tree species. Here, we examined how clonal reproduction shapes SGS and whether dioecy compounds this pattern in Populus alba (white poplar), a key component of riparian forests. Using 15 nuclear microsatellite markers and population genetic analyses of 1,068 individuals, we investigated sex-specific patterns in semi-natural and urban stands. In the studied stands, clonal growth predominated, with compact clonal architecture and occasional long-distance spread. Our results indicate that clonality intensifies SGS, with a nearly twofold stronger effect at the ramet level than at the genet level. Our results support the assumption that differences in clonal architecture between female and male individuals can generate sex-specific spatial patterns and thereby influence population genetic structure, with stronger SGS in female ramets (Sp = 0.129 and 0.177 in the semi-natural and urban stands, respectively) than in male ramets (Sp = 0.115 and 0.066). A comparison of semi-natural and urban stands indicates that the intensity of spatial genetic structure reflects the combined effects of clonal structure and habitat-specific factors. Spatio-temporal variation in resource availability and disturbance regimes may contribute to these patterns by influencing population dynamics. Given the degradation of Europe’s riparian forests and the limited knowledge of genetic resources of white poplar, understanding these spatial processes is crucial for informing restoration efforts and the sustainable management of genetic resources of the species. Our study revealed that the observed SGS patterns are strongly habitat-dependent; therefore, the protection and restoration of dynamic riparian forests should adopt an integrated genetic–environmental approach to ensure their long-term adaptive potential under ongoing climate change.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -