Genes, Oaks, and Climate Change: A Focus on Quercus insignis

Sofía Zorrilla Azcué and Hernando Rodríguez Correa

Published May 2026 in International Oaks No. 37: 69–78

Abstract

The growing threat that climate change presents to biodiversity has led to the development of new approaches for predicting the risks populations face under environmental change. One promising approach is to incorporate genetic information that reflects how populations are adapted to local environments. The way a species’ genetic composition relates to the environmental conditions across its range can be used to estimate how much genetic change might be needed for populations to stay adapted as the climate shifts. This approach has been applied to several oak species worldwide and has yielded valuable insights that can inform and strengthen conservation strategies.

Understanding the risks and potential responses of populations within specific ecosystems is crucial, especially for highly diverse and threatened ecosystems like cloud forests, which provide essential ecosystem services. In Mesoamerican cloud forests, oaks represent a particularly important group that may be highly sensitive to climate change. Genomic studies of representative species in this region can generate the knowledge needed to guide effective conservation actions. One such species is Quercus insignis, an endangered oak species distributed from Mexico to the mountains in Costa Rica. Our research focuses on how local adaptation patterns may be affected by climate change, particularly whether the genetic composition that may help populations today could become less suited to future conditions. By identifying populations potentially more vulnerable to future climatic conditions, our study aims to provide useful information to support conservation efforts and ensure the long-term persistence of this species and the ecosystems it inhabits.

Keywords

genomic offset, landscape genomics, encino chicalaba, cloud forest

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