The potential for gene flow from exotic eucalypt plantations into Australia's rare native eucalypts

Hybridisation through pollen dispersal from exotic plants is increasingly recognised as a threat to the genetic integrity of native plant populations. Its genetic impact can be greater in rare taxa, due to their vulnerability to pollen swamping by more abundant congeners. We assessed the likelihood of pollen dispersal from exotic eucalypt plantations into all of Australia's rare native eucalypts, and conducted a case study of Eucalyptus perriniana, which is rare in Tasmania. The Australia-wide study involved spatial analyses of the locations for each rare species superimposed on distributions of eucalypt plantations, which were combined with known taxonomically based reproductive barriers. Of the 74 nationally listed rare eucalypt taxa, 22 had locations within 10 km of plantations of the same genus, and eight were within 1 km. These eight proximal taxa are considered priorities for monitoring. In the most extreme case, 30% of point locations originating from herbarium records and field surveys for Eucalyptus conglomerata were within 1 km of exotic plantations. In the case study, E. perriniana revealed considerable reproductive compatibility with adjacent recently established Eucalyptus nitens plantations. However, F1 hybridisation between these species was limited, with 0.2% of the 18,625 seedlings grown from 100 single-tree open-pollinated seedlots being hybrids. For now, the probability of exotic gene flow into E. perriniana appears to be low, however this probability is likely to increase as more E. nitens flowers in the surrounding landscape. These studies suggest that understanding the breeding system and biology of these populations may reveal surprising resistance to such exotic hybridisation as well as identifying high risk situations to focus conservation management.

Research highlights▶ The potential for genetic contamination of Australia's rare native eucalypts from hybridisation with non-local eucalypt plantations was assessed. ▶ 70% of the 74 nationally listed rare eucalypt taxa were at negligible risk. ▶ Rare taxa most at risk of hybridisation with plantation species were identified. ▶ A case study aimed at testing the risk assessment and adaptive management strategies for a rare taxa in a high risk landscape was undertaken. ▶ Hybrids between the rare and plantation species comprised 0.2% of the open-pollinated seed collected from the rare species, but this rate is expected to increase as flowering increases in the plantation.