Abstract
Populations of oak cork (Quercus suber L.) originated from different areas in Tunisia were analysed based on morphological characters to assess the overall degree of phenotypic variability, to detect similarities between the genotypes and to evaluate significant forest features. One-way ANOVA analysis shows a significant difference between oak cork populations and demonstrates that parameters measured on leaves show an important degree of variability and permit to discriminate oak cork individuals. Vegetative variables are leaf length, leaf width, petioles length, number of leaf veins, petioles width, spines number, leaf area, length nipples, diameter nipples, weight nipples, and height trees. Diameter trees were scored and subjected to multivariate analysis. Results showed a considerable diversity among local germoplasme of oak cork. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the characters related to the length and width of the sheets and the nipples accounted for a large proportion of the observed variability. Cluster analysis showed a typically continuous phenotypic diversity among oak cork accessions, and little asso-ciations between accessions from same geographic origin. Also, some heterogeneity within accessions that received the same denomination was evidenced. The variability observed between different populations is attached to phenotypic characters which depend primarily on two factors, gene and environment.
Highlights
The oak cork (Quercus suber L.) (2n = 24) is a Mediterranean species, which has a great ecological and socioeconomic interest
Similar data have been previously reported in oak cork accessions
[12] bring back a high degree of phenotypical polymorphism in 26 sources of oak cork originating in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia by using seven morphological metric characters, considered to be discriminating related to characters of vegetative growth of oak cork
Summary
The oak cork (Quercus suber L.) (2n = 24) is a Mediterranean species, which has a great ecological and socioeconomic interest. Oak groves are seldom in a stable state everywhere in the world, but are subjected to many gradual changes. They sometimes undergo catastrophic dysfunctions and present strong reductions of growth, and damage in the crown. The oak cork is characterized of a great polymorphism in leaves and fruits. It has a great genetic variability which results in morphological differences between individuals and ecotypes. Technological qualities of cork and its speedily increase appear to strongly depend on the genetic factors [3]. [4] reported that the oak cork constituted definitely distinct races according to areas: the Numidia oak cork of Algeria and Tunisia, the Atlantic oak cork of Morocco, and the oak cork of the Western South of France with bi-annual maturation and more resistant to the cold; this confirmed great genetic richness of the oak cork to which primarily contributed cross-fertilization character of the species
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