Resumen de Simulation analysis of Quercus Ilex - Quercus Suber chloroplast introgression
Álvaro Soto de Viana, Unai López de Heredia, Juan José Robledo Arnuncio, Luis Gil Sánchez
Hybridisation and introgression are not odd events among oak species, and natural hybrids are often described in Queicus ilex and Q. suber mixed stands. These processes have been proposed as an explanation to the presence of chloroplast DNA haplotypes from holm oak in populations of cork oak. It is noteworthy that these cork oak stands are mainly located in sub-optimal areas for this acidophyllous species; for instance, these populations are abundant in Eastern Spain, in isolated decarbonated areas, surrounded by basic soils. In these situations, introgression with holm oak, a much more euryoic species (especially regarding cold, drought resistance and soil nature) may have played an adaptive role for cork oak. No matter hybridisation has been reckoned as an undesirable event, since it has negative effects on cork and acorn production, the analysis of reproduction and hybridisation patterns needs to be taken in consideration in the perspective of a putative global climatic change that would affect cork oak woodlands. In the present work we have developed a specific software (cpHijack) aiming to clarify which factors may be determinant in introgression processes (namely, small population size vs. adaptive advantage) and how much time can take a chloroplast capture under different scenarios.
