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Contributed Poster

Session: Conservation Management

PS 23-58 - Ecotypic differences in phenology of California buckeye seedlings could facilitate climate-resilient restoration

Tuesday, August 8, 2023
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM PDT
Location: ESA Exhibit Hall

    Presenting Author(s)

  • RL

    Razi Lederman

    Undergraduate
    University of California, Santa Cruz
    San Francisco, California, United States

    • Coauthor(s)

  • EZ

    Erika S. Zavaleta

    Professor
    University of California, Santa Cruz
    Santa Cruz, California, United States

  • BM

    Blair C. McLaughlin

    University of California Santa Cruz, United States

  • SP

    Sushmita N/A Poudel

    Phd student
    University of California Santa Cruz, United States

Abstract: Drought in California is expected to become increasingly frequent and severe, which will cause increased mortality for many important native tree species. Tree species have the potential to evolve ecotypic differences in phenotype, making characterization of population-level differences important to informing management and predictive models. Trees often have limited ability to colonize new habitats, making assisted migration and gene flow a potential tool for climate-adaptive conservation. To maximize conservation success in a changing climate, restorationists are exploring the possibility of using seeds from non-local populations to increase suitability to future climatic conditions. One important trait to consider in these efforts is seedling phenology. We examined population-level differences in seedling phenology for the California buckeye (Aesculus californica), a California endemic tree of high conservation value that is adapted to a Mediterranean climate with extended summer drought periods. We expected to find differences in buckeye seedling phenology among origin sites when planted in a common garden. To study these differences, we gathered seeds from four sites across a precipitation gradient and grew seedlings in a greenhouse for one year. We tracked seedling growth through six phenological stages starting with bud dormancy and ending with fully mature leaves. We found that buckeye seedlings from xeric sites had more advanced phenology, with earlier leaf out than seedlings from mesic sites. These results suggest that buckeye from xeric environments were cued to maximize growth earlier in the season, when moisture would be more abundant under natural conditions. This advanced phenology could potentially increase seedling survival by matching growth to late winter periods of higher water availability in sites where overall water availability is more limited. With increasing drought in California, restoration with buckeye seeds sourced from xeric ecotypes with faster early-season growth could benefit climate-adaptive conservation of this species.