>Given an actual locally adapted population, what is the likelihood it can be preserved? 

 

Reminds me of a study related to the oft-evaluated Landes bee:

 

Morphological and molecular characterization of the Landes honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) ecotype for genetic conservation <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-007-9093-6> 

 

‘Asymmetric gene flow detected with microsatellite alleles was observed to be 5.5–5.9% from imported to native stocks of honey bees while introgression of native microsatellite alleles into imported colonies was 21.6%.’

 

But they also caution that, ‘The difficulty in distinguishing ecotypic Landes colonies from non-ecotypic Landes colonies may be derived, in part, from our restrictive definition of ecotype colonies used in this study. Our definition of ecotypic colonies is based on the work of Louveaux et al. (1966 <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-007-9093-6#ref-CR13> ) such that only colonies which were found to have the characteristic ecotypic annual brood cycle were designated as ecotype. In fact, it may be that many of the colonies in the non-ecotype Landes group in this study were ecotypic in nature.’

 

Here is a good offshoot study from the COLOSS GEI <https://coloss.org/gei-experiment/>  series of studies that attempted to explore this question from a phenotypic perspective:

 

Effects of selection and local adaptation on resilience and economic suitability in Apis mellifera carnica <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-020-00783-0> 

 

‘The aim of this study was to compare behavior, productivity, and resistance to V. destructor in different A. m. carnica genotypes under the aspects of local versus non-local genotypes and varying selection regimes. Specifically, we compared two local genotypes that either (1) were never under artificial selection, or (2) originated from a breeding program, to (3) an introduced and highly selected genotype. The results are discussed with regard to the benefits of selective breeding, its effects on the resilience of bees, and the impact of local adaptation.’

 

‘It is noticeable that in our experiment colonies headed by non-local queens (HS group) tended to reach the peak of development about 1 month later as the local NS and MS groups. This could indicate a maladaptation to the local environmental conditions in our study area, where the flowering periods of plants start a few weeks earlier than in Germany, from where these queens originated.’ 

 

‘In conclusion, colonies headed by queens that originate from breeding programs showed significantly better scores for the main commercially recognized behavioral traits. On the other hand, colonies from the group without any selection showed higher expression of resistance traits (SMR and REC), indicating a possible improvement of these traits as consequence of natural selection and local adaptation. In addition, a low overwintering index and a slower spring development indicate a lack of adaptation of the HS group. This research provides further evidence on the importance of breeding bees under aspects of resilience and for the relevance of local adaptation for the performance of colonies.’

 

And in, Local honey bees (Apis mellifera) have lower pathogen loads and higher productivity compared to non-local transplanted bees in North America <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334097718_Local_honey_bees_Apis_mellifera_have_lower_pathogen_loads_and_higher_productivity_compared_to_non-local_transplanted_bees_in_North_America> :

 

‘Our study presents evidence that offspring of locally raised queens from the Northeast may be more productive and less susceptible to certain pathogens in their local environment as compared to the progeny of queens from a climatically contrasting environment. These results suggest that maintaining local bee stocks could have positive impacts on honey bee populations.’

 

In this study they classify the two stocks as follows:

 

‘Local and non-local queens were the progeny of non-migratory colonies that had been naturally breeding for 10–15 generations in Vermont or California, respectively. We have no genetic or ethological information formally classifying our queens as distinct ecotypes, although queens differed significantly in abdomen color: local Vermont queens had light brown abdomens while those of non-local Californian queens were black.’


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