| The aims of this project are to look for „climate-smart genes” (i.e., gene variants that may play a role in past and ongoing adaptation) of silver fir (Abies alba) and related species. Southern and Southeastern Europe is already experiencing climate effects taht are still to be expected for Central Europe. Therefore, gene variants of the specie sin these regions may be beneficial for Austria in the future. Likewise, in Austria, fir seedlings may already now experience the climate warming effects of the recent decades, while the long-established adult generation is still surviving without much higher mortality. Therefore, the project will look for gene variants present in the young generation in higher frequencies, and compare those to the variants that are more frequent in the South or Southeast. If there are consistent variants to be found, it is highly likely that they will be connected to climate warming in general.
For this purpose, fir stands will be selected in Austria and abroad; samples will be taken from trees and seedlings that also need to be measured, mapped and described. A number of trees, as different from each other as possible, will be selected for re-sequencing, i.e. the determination of their genome (DNA) sequence in comparison to the reference sequence of silver fir produced in a previous project. This will yield sequence variants that later will be analyzed in great numbers of individuals. The frequencies of many (tens of thousands) of gene variants will be compared among fir stands and individuals, including the comparison within stands in Austria between adults and seedlings. These comparisons, including climate data of the stands and climate changes in the last century, will reveal climate-smart gene variants, and trees and seedlings that carry such variants can be selected for future plantings. A demonstration planting will be prepared at the end of the project. |