1. Can gene flow disrupt local adaptation in the face of climate change ? Philippe Matter Guest stars: Ranunculus bulbosus and Trifolium montanum - BioChange philippe.matter@env.ethz.ch

2. What’s the point of this project? Peripheral populations are supposed to be pre-adapted to high altitude conditions whereas central ones are not… Peripheral populations are supposed to be pre-adapted to high altitude conditions whereas central ones are not… or Outbreeding vigour Outbreedingdepression? What happens if pollen from central populations fly into those peripheral populations? What happens if pollen from central populations fly into those peripheral populations?

3. Questions 1.What is the probability of pollen flying from central to peripheral populations? 2.Are phenology and pollinators a limiting factor to gene flow via pollen immigration? 3.Which consequences have outbreeding on these populations: genetic depression, hybrid vigour, none?

4. 10m 125m 50m Methods 1 – Pollen flow Artificial population Artificial population Plants covering a range of distances from 10 to 250m Plants covering a range of distances from 10 to 250m Genotyping 10 loci Genotyping 10 loci

5. Methods 1 – Pollen flow Finding out where the pollen flew from Finding out where the pollen flew from ? Mother Father, which one??? Offspring 0 250 m Distance Frequency of mating events Pollen dispersal Pollen dispersal 0 3 km Distance Extrapolated frequency of mating events Pollen dispersal at landscape level Pollen dispersal at landscape level

6. Methods 2 – Phenology/Pollinators Several population pairs Several population pairs Two years Two years Flower synchrony: length of flowering period, flowering dynamics Flower synchrony: length of flowering period, flowering dynamics Pollinator species Pollinator species

7. Methods 3 – Outbreeding Artificial pollinations Artificial pollinations Transplanted plants Transplanted plants

8. Germination test, seedling performance, fitness Germination test, seedling performance, fitness Methods 3 – Outbreeding Viability, establishment in a new habitat Viability, establishment in a new habitat Counting and weighing the seed sets Counting and weighing the seed sets Transplant sites, 2009-2010

9. Project outcome Disruption of local adaptation by outbreeding depression? Peripheral populations favoured over migrating central populations? allows??? Genetic differentiation among populations? implies??? Integration into the CCES-BioChange program Integration into the CCES-BioChange program New guidelines for conservation strategies New guidelines for conservation strategies correlates??? Thomas philippe Esther

10. Thank you for your attention