Clonal reproduction is an important strategy for the establishment, expansion and persistence of many plant species. It is well-documented in Populus spp. Populus tremula (European Aspen) is a native species in Ireland, a pioneer which has persisted from the early Holocene to the present. Our main aim was to determine whether clonal and genetic diversity across Irish populations of P. tremula , are lower compared to population...

Hedgerows are an important component of agricultural landscapes, but in recent years have increasingly faced threats such as habitat loss, land use change, climate change, invasive species, pests and plant pathogens. Given the potential importance of genetic diversity in countering these threats, and the spatial distribution of such diversity within and across natural populations, we analyzed levels and patterns of diversity i...