The adaptability of trees persists even after millions of years of climate change

Seven of the most common forest trees in Europe have been shown to be able to protect their genetic diversity against major changes in environmental conditions. This is despite the fact that their ranges have shrunk and the number of trees has plummeted during ice age cycles. This is according to a study by a European consortium led by the universities of Uppsala and Helsinki, published in Nature Communications (Words: Uppsala University).

"This is very positive from a biodiversity point of view, because these trees are keystone species on which many other species depend," says Pascal Milesi, associate professor of plant ecology and evolution at Uppsala University and first author of the study.

The researchers focused on examining how the genetic diversity of tree species was affected by ice age cycles. The trees survived both warm and cold periods. During the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the range of trees was greatly reduced. Scientists therefore thought that genetic diversity would be low. However, it turned out to be just the opposite – the species had a high genetic diversity and was thus resistant to drastic changes in its habitat. (More on envirotecmagazine.com)