Abstract
Elms represent a valuable and diverse woody plant resource for traditional forest products as well as urban landscape use. Yet despite their obvious importance to urban and rural populations, we know relatively little about the extent and patterning of genetic variation in elms. Efficient utilization of genetic variation in future breeding programs, as well as integration of biotechnology with conventional plant improvement practices, requires a more complete and systematic assessment of genetic variation. Recent advances in molecular biology, especially the development of new sets of genetic markers (e.g. RFLP, RAPD, isozymes), hold great promise for enhancing our understanding of systematic affinities and the evolution of elms, as well as permitting the construction of detailed genetic maps for use in breeding and other forms of genome manipulation. Our evidence from chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA restriction site analysis reveals that elms are rich in molecular variation, having a large number of mutations amenable to restriction site analysis. Examples of the utility of such data to clarify taxonomic problems are provided, as well as suggestions for future applications of molecular markers in breeding programs.
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