Plant ecotypes: genetic differentiation in the age of ecological restoration

Recent studies illustrate the emerging field of restoration genetics, which is a synthesis of restoration ecology and population genetics. The translocation of organisms during the restoration of native ecosystems has provoked new questions concerning the consequences of sampling protocols and of intraspecific hybridization between locally adapted and transplanted genotypes. Studies are now underway to determine both the extent of local adaptation among focal populations and the potential risks of introducing foreign genotypes, including founder effects, genetic swamping and outbreeding depression. Data are needed to delineate ‘seed transfer zones’, or regions within which plants can be moved with little or no consequences for population fitness. Here, we address the revival of transplant and common garden studies, the use of novel molecular markers to predict population genetic consequences of translocation, and their combined power for determining appropriate seed transfer zones in restoration planning for native plant populations.