Population structure and post‐glacial migration routes of Quercus robur and Quercus petraea in Denmark, based on chloroplast DNA analysis

Abstract

Populations of Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea [Matt.] Liebl. were shown previously to be fixed for the same chloroplast DNA marker in western Europe and for another form of this marker in eastern Europe. Application of this marker to 17 Danish populations of Q. robur showed significant population differentiation (GST = 0.6). Restricted gene flow, low effective population size, restricted colonization ability of oak in dense forest and historical data might explain this. In addition, the genetic structure in eastern and western Denmark was quite different. In Jutland the populations were homogeneous for the western marker, in eastern Denmark, significant population differentiation and high diversity within populations were found. Post‐glacial migration is likely to explain the geographical structure. Oaks have immigrated to Jutland from the west, whereas eastern Denmark was colonized from both east and west, forming a hybrid zone where immigrants met. Data from three populations of Q. petraea and from two hybrid populations also support this.