Interspecific Hybridization and Forest Resilience under Climate Change
Our research explores the evolutionary and ecological significance of interspecific hybridization as a vital mechanism for climate change adaptation in woody plants. Our foundational work on Mediterranean pine forests demonstrated that natural hybridization between Brutia pine (Pinus brutia) and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) generates vigorous F1 and advanced-generation hybrids. Utilizing transcriptomic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers alongside high-throughput physiological phenotyping, we revealed that these hybrids combine superior growth rates with conservative water-use strategies, elevated root-to-shoot ratios, and higher leaf mass per area (LMA), providing a distinct survival advantage during drought stress and forest regeneration in semi-arid zones. Expanding this framework to hyper-arid desert ecosystems, our study on acacias in the Arava Valley (Wadi Shita) developed diagnostic nuclear and maternal chloroplast DNA markers to confirm spontaneous hybridization between Acacia raddiana and Vachellia pachyceras (Acacia pachyceras); these hybrids exhibit lush vegetative growth and strong post-zygotic reproductive isolation (near-complete sterility), offering key insights into ecosystem engineering under extreme climate conditions. Building upon these insights, our ongoing research extends to cypresses and terebinths. We are currently investigating spontaneous hybridization between the native Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), which suffers from severe drought-induced mortality, and the drought-hardy Atlantic cypress (Cupressus atlantica), as well as potential natural hybridization between Pistacia terebinthus and P. atlantica. By integrating genomic marker development with ecophysiological drought experiments, our lab aims to identify stress-resilient genotypes, elucidate the adaptive mechanisms of interspecific gene flow, and support sustainable, climate-resilient forestry in the Mediterranean basin.