CREAF

In recent years, it has been documented an increasing number of dieback events in forest tree species associated with intense and/or prolonged droughts. In this project, we will evaluate the potential of this species’ populations to adapt to a drier environment. Specifically:

1. We will analyze phenotypic plasticity and genetic variance in potentially important traits for adaptation to drought at inter- and intra-population scales in quantitative genetic common garden experiments located under contrasting environmental conditions.
2. We will study the patterns of covariation between traits with special emphasis on understanding to what extent there is a negative association between growth potential and drought tolerance.
3. We will integrate the genetic information of functional traits with genomic data to provide criteria for the adaptive management of populations of this species, and the protection and conservation of potentially valuable genetic resources for the resilience of populations and ecological restoration in a context of climate change.

Proyecto TED2021-129570B-I00 financiado por MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 y por la Unión Europea NextGenerationEU/PRTR