Abstract
Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc. is a widely distributed conifer species in the Republic of Korea with economic and ecologic importance. However, P. densiflora is negatively influenced by various factors, such as forest fires, clearing of large numbers of trees infected with Pinus disease, and dieback. We aimed to use microsatellite markers to estimate the genetic diversity, differentiation, and structure of P. densiflora populations in the Republic of Korea. A total of 1844 samples from 60 populations were evaluated using 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity were 0.652 and 0.673, respectively. The mean genetic differentiation among the populations was 0.013. Moreover, P. densiflora showed high genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation compared with conifer species, including Pinus species with similar life histories. Principal coordinates analysis and Bayesian clustering showed that P. densiflora has a weak geographical structure. The P. densiflora population at Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, showed the lowest genetic diversity and significant genetic differentiation compared with other mainland populations due to genetic drift and restricted gene flow. These findings can be useful for designing new conservation, management, and breeding strategies for P. densiflora populations in response to future environmental changes.
Highlights
Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc., usually called the Japanese red pine, is a conifer species belonging to the family Pinaceae and genus Pinus L
The highest level of genetic diversity was observed in the Kimhae population (A = 10.0, Ae = 5.5, allele richness (AR) = 8.0, Ho = 0.697, He = 0.733), whereas the Mt
Compared to other species with similar life-history traits, we identified high genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation, and a weak geographic structure was observed for the genetic structure of population
Summary
Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc., usually called the Japanese red pine, is a conifer species belonging to the family Pinaceae and genus Pinus L. Japanese red pine is the most widely distributed conifer species in the Republic of Korea [1]. Peninsula ranges from Hamgyeongbukdo (N 43◦ ) to Jeju Island (N 33◦ ) [2]. This species is found throughout Japan, Manchuria, the Shandong Peninsula in China, and eastern. P. densiflora is known to have undergone speciation from Pinus sylvestris L. P. sylvestris diverged to a variety of species termed ‘sylvestriformis’ in the Manchuria province of China and eventually differentiated into P. densiflora [5]. Most P. densiflora forests are secondary and mixed stand forests that primarily compete with Quercus mongolica Fisch
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
