PARENT SESSION
Contributed Oral Session 82: Landscape and Population Genetics
Wednesday, August 10, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Room 519 B, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Genetic structure of jack pine as revealed by nuclear microsatellite markers.
Chiovitti, Sandra*,1, 2, Mannerla, Miia1, Hu, Xin-Sheng3, Yeh, Francis3, Dayanandan, Daya1, 2, 1 Biology Deaprtment, Montreal, Quebec, Canada2 Groupe de recherche en écologie forestière interuniversitaire, Montreal, Quebec, Canada3 Department of Renewable Resources, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ABSTRACT- Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) is one of the commercially exploited and widely distributed forest tree species in Northern United States and Canada. Genetic studies of jack pine based on traditional genetic markers have shown a relatively high level of polymorphism, and low level of genetic differentiation among populations suggesting a high level of gene flow between populations. Through screening partial genomic libraries, we have isolated and characterized nuclear microsatelite markers to assess levels of genetic diversity throughout the distribution range of jack pine. Using five microsatellite flanking primer pairs, we have analyzed 460 individuals from 17 populations representing the entire distribution range of jack pine in Canada. Our analysis revealed that mainland (Labrador, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta) populations were genetically distinct from the maritime (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick) region populations. Although there was no significant correlation between geographic distance and genetic differentiation, genetic distance between populations in the mainland and maritime region is higher than genetic differentiation within each region suggesting a limited gene flow between the mainland and maritime populations. This pattern of genetic structure could have arisen from isolation of jack pine populations in refugia during the glacial maxima possibly during the Pleistocene era.
Key words: pleistocene refugia, population genetics, Pinus