Extreme climatic events but not environmental heterogeneity shape within-population genetic variation in maritime pine

How evolutionary forces interact to maintain quantitative genetic variation within populations has been a matter of extensive theoretical debates. While mutation and migration increase genetic variation, natural selection and genetic drift are expected to deplete it. To date, levels of genetic variation observed in natural populations are hard to predict without accounting for other processes, such as balancing selection in heterogeneous environments. We aimed to empirically test three hypotheses: (i) admixed populations have higher quantitative genetic variation due to introgression from other gene pools, (ii) quantitative genetic variation is lower in populations from harsher environments (i.e. experiencing stronger selection), and (iii) quantitative genetic variation is higher in populations from spatially heterogeneous environments. We used phenotypic measurements of five growth, phenological and functional traits from three clonal common gardens, consisting of 523 clones from 33 populations of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). Populations from harsher climates (mainly colder areas) showed lower genetic variation for height in the three common gardens. Surprisingly, we did not find any association between within-population genetic variation and environmental heterogeneity or population admixture for any trait. Our results suggest a predominant role of natural selection in driving within-population genetic variation, and therefore indirectly their adaptive potential.