Gradient Genogeographic Analysis of Pinus sylvestris L. Populations in Europe

Abstract

Gradients of Nei's genetic distances between 15 samples of Pinus sylvestris L. trees were analyzed along three submeridional transects, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and Transcaucasia. As a result, distinct chorogenetic differentiation was revealed between the populations of this species growing in climatically specific regions of northern and southern Europe. Considerable Nei's distances (DN = 0.045-0.056) and their gradients, combined with differences in stable phenotypic characters (the composition of monoterpenes and morphological parameters of cones) determined at the Pyrenean and Caucasian mountain borders, suggest that the P. sylvestris species structure includes two South Eurasian subspecies, the Pyrenean P. sylvestris L., ssp. iberica Svoboda and the Transcaucasian P. sylvestris L., ssp. hamata (Stev.) Fomin.

B-SAP markers derived from the bacterial KatG gene differentiate populations of Pinus sylvestris and provide new insights into their postglacial history

“…For instance, the distance equal to 0.252 between the Montenegro and Turkish populations as well as the mean genetic distance among all populations analysed (D = 0.069) belong to the highest observed so far. For example, Eurasian populations differ from D = 0.005 to 0.046 (Goncharenko et al 1994), Swiss populations from 0.0042 to 0.0084 (NeetSarqueda 1994) and Scandinavian, Mediterranean and Transcaucasian from 0.045 to 0.056 (Sannikov et al 2005). It has been speculated that the greater amounts of DNA in pines in general, may favour recombination hence population specific allele combinations are not captured.…”

“…Diagnostic alleles unique for a population are rarely found. The uniformity of populations from the wide geographical range are exemplified by low Nei's genetic distance coefficients ranging from 0.005 to 0.056 (Goncharenko et al 1994, Sannikov et al 2005. Similarly, correlations between morphological characters and genetic markers have rarely been found.…”

Phylogenogeography and genotaxonomy of Pinus sylvestris L. populations

“…A peak of DN 78 values in Central Europe takes place when cross ing the Alps; in the Russian Plain, when crossing the zone of insular pine forests in the steppe. The strongest increase in genetic distances (from 0.014-0.017 to 0.024-0.053) and their gradients (from 0.2-1.1 × 10 -5 to 3.5-12.7 × 10 -5 ) is observed when the transects pass through the Pyrenees, Carpathians, Black Sea, and Greater Caucasus; this transition is also marked by a breakpoint in the contents of some monoterpenes in pine tissues (Sannikov et al, 2005).…”

“…(2) the barrier role of ridges of the Alpine mountain system (Sinclair, Morman, and Ennos, 1999;Soranzo et al, 2000;Sannikov et al, 2005); and (3) the strongly disjoined, insular pattern of pine forests in the steppe zone and in the mountains of the Mediterranean, Southern Siberia, and Amur region. This conclusion is confirmed by strong, statistically significant correla tion between DN 78 and the distance between insular pine forests in the steppe zone (r = 0.73, p < 0.01).…”

“…On the other hand, evidence has been obtained for genetic specificity of many population groups in the periph eral parts of P. sylvestris range, such as Iberia, Tran scaucasia, Asia Minor, Yakutia, and Amur region (Prus Glowacki and Stephan, 1994;Sannikov et al, 1997Sannikov et al, , 2002Sannikov et al, , 2005Sinclair, Morman, and Ennos, 1999;Sannikov and Petrova, 2003;Cheddadi et al, 2006;Naydenov et al, 2007;Pihäjärvi, Salmela, and Savolainen, 2008). Unfortunately, the results of these regional studies (often based on different molecular markers) are poorly comparable, fragmentary, and generally insufficient for revealing general patterns in the structure of the species gene pool.…”