Abstract
DNA polymorphism at nine nuclear microsatellites of nine selected naturally-regenerated Norway spruce populations growing mainly within gene conservation units in different parts of the Czech Republic was studied. To verify the genetic quality of the selected gene conservation unit, we analyzed nine Norway spruce subpopulations from gene conservation unit GZ 102–Orlické hory. Genetic parameters can be used in state administrative decision making on including stands into gene conservation units. The level of genetic diversity within 17 investigated Czech Norway spruce units was relatively high. Mean values for the number of different alleles ranged from 12.2 (population SM 08) to 16.2 (subpopulation SM T4). The values of observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.65 to 0.80 and expected heterozygosity (He) from 0.74 to 0.81. Pairwise population FST values ranging from 0.006 to 0.027 indicated low genetic differentiation between units, and values of Nei’s genetic distance among Norway spruce units ranged from 0.046 to 0.168, thus structuring of the investigated Norway spruce units was confirmed. Closer genetic similarity was seen in subpopulations from the gene conservation unit in Orlické hory than in the studied populations from other genetic conservation units. Additionally, the populations SM 01 and SM 05, both of Hurst ecotypes, were the closest to one another and the populations of mountain and alpine ecotypes were assembled into another group.
Highlights
Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) is a coniferous species belonging to the family Pinaceae.It is one of the most widespread tree species in Europe, where it is located mainly in Northern and Northeastern Europe and in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe
The nine subpopulations were taken from just one gene conservation unit (GZ 102 Trčkov–Šerlišský kotel–Vrchmezí) in order to compare the genetic distances among them and with the other studied populations situated in different localities of the
The aim of this work was to determine the genetic parameters of selected Norway spruce The aim of this work was to determine the genetic parameters of selected Norway spruce units units growing in different parts of the Czech Republic, where their regeneration is a naturally growing in different parts of the Czech Republic, where their regeneration is a naturally ongoing ongoing process, and to compare the genetic similarities of nine subpopulations from one gene process, and to compare the genetic similarities of nine subpopulations from one gene conservation conservation unit (GZ 102—Orlické hory) to other populations distributed across the Czech Republic
Summary
Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) is a coniferous species belonging to the family Pinaceae. It is one of the most widespread tree species in Europe, where it is located mainly in Northern and Northeastern Europe and in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. The mountain ecotype grows at an altitude from 700 to 1050 m, and its crown is short and sparse. Norway spruce is economically the most important tree species in the Czech Republic, where it is used for pulp and timber production. This species is very demanding of soil moisture and requires higher relative humidity. In the past 200 years, the spruce has been secondarily extended to everywhere in Central Europe, thereby pushing out most of the Forests 2018, 9, 92; doi:10.3390/f9020092 www.mdpi.com/journal/forests
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