Maria A. Bobowicz

Genetic variation of silver fir progeny from Tisovik Reserve population determined via microsatellite and isozyme markers

Abstract Progeny from 19 family lines of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from a small, native and isolated population from the Tisovik Reserve (Belarusian part of Białowieża Primeval Forest) growing in an experimental plot near Hajnówka (Polish part of Białowieża Primeval Forest) were analysed in terms of 4 nuclear microsatellite DNA loci and 9 isozyme systems with 14 loci. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic variation within and between progeny lines. Analysis of isozyme loci showed that all progeny lines, except the progeny lines T6 and T16, were characterised by an excess of heterozygotes and 20% of the detected variation occurred between progeny. Progeny formed two groups. Microsatellite loci showed that 6 progeny lines demonstrated an excess of heterozygotes and 12 an excess of homozygotes. On an average, the population was in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 14% of the detected variation occurred between offspring and the remaining 86% within progeny lines. The most distinct progeny line was Tl, where the highest number of alleles per locus was detected. Generally, progeny of Tisovik is characterised by high level of differentiation as the offspring of isolated population that have limited number of individuals to crossing (only 20). In some progeny line, the private alleles that are detected may be the result of pollination from Polish part of Białowieża Forest where in 1920s and 1930s of XX century had planted the seedling of silver fir of unknown origin. The substructuring of population is observed, and the detected deficiency of heterozygotes may be ostensible as a result of the Wahlund effect. Such pattern of genetic structure could also be an effect of harsh environmental conditions exerting selection pressure and modifying the genetic composition of this population.

Variability of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) progeny from the Tisovik Reserve expressed in needle traits and chloroplast microsatellite DNA

Abstract Progeny from nineteen family lines of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) from the Tisovik Reserve growing in an experimental plot were analyzed based on 4 chloroplast microsatellite DNA loci and 12 morphological and anatomical needle traits. The Tisovik Reserve is located in Białowieża Primeval Forest, 120 km north of the natural range limit of this species, and embraces a small and isolated natural population of silver fir. The aim of this study was to determine genetic variation within and between progeny lines. Analysis of phenotypic variation showed that the traits which differed most among individuals were the needle width and the distance from resin canals to vascular bundle. Those traits, which differed most between the progeny lines, were the number of endodermic cells around the vascular bund and the weight of hypodermic cells. In Tisovik progeny, we detected 107 different haplotypes. In progeny lines, we detected more haplotypes than in maternal trees, and most haplotypes did not exist in maternal trees. This may be the result of pollen influx from other silver fir stands. Progeny from Tisovik showed a higher level of variability in comparison with maternal trees.

Variability of three natural populations of Pinus sylvestris L. from different sites of Białowieża Primeval Forest estimated using needle traits

Zmienność trzech naturalnych populacji Pinus sylvestris L. z różnych siedlisk Puszczy Białowieskiej oszacowana cechami igieł Variability of three natural populations of Pinus sylvestris L. from different sites of Białowieża Primeval Forest estimated using needle traits The aim of the study was to determine the intra- and interpopulation variation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), coming from three natural sites of the Białowieża Primeval Forest. Material for analysis was collected from pine trees in fresh coniferous forest site type - Vaccinio vitis-ideae-Pinetum (Gruszki population), fresh mixed coniferous forest site type - Calamagrostio arundinacea-Piceetum (Topiło population) and in fresh deciduous forest site type - Tilio-Carpinetum (Teremiski population). These sites vary considerably in terms of their fertility and moisture content. Data collected from measurements of 14 morphological and anatomical traits were used for the purpose of statistical analysis. The most important methods applied in this study include the analysis of discriminant variables, Mahalanobis distances between trees together with the minimum spanning trees created on the basis of the shortest Mahalanobis distances, as well as agglomerative clustering using the nearest neighbour method, based on Euclidean distances and the t distribution and the t-Student test. It was found that analyzed populations differ statistically in terms of investigated traits. In fresh coniferous forest (Gruszki population) and in fresh mixed coniferous forest (Topiło population) pine is a dominant or co-dominant species and these two forest site types create optimal development conditions for pine, which is confirmed by the results obtained in this study.