Biogeography and evolutionary factors determine genetic differentiation of Pinus mugo (Turra) in the Tatra Mountains (Central Europe)

Authors:

• Konrad Celiński,
• Veronika Zbránková,
• Aleksandra Wojnicka-Półtorak,
• Ewa Chudzińska

Abstract

Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) markers were used to assess genetic diversity within and among populations of dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo Turra) growing in the Tatra National Park (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) in Southern Poland (Central Europe). The analyzed population belongs to two different geobotanical sub-districts: the Western and High Tatras. The level of genetic diversity assessed in this study for P. mugo is generally comparable to that reported for the other pine species in the Pinaceae family assessed by ISSR markers, especially with respect to Nei’s genetic diversity and the percentage of polymorphic bands. Bayesian analysis clustered the analyzed populations into two groups, corresponding to their geobotanical locations in the Tatras. Significant divergence between the two genetical clusters was supported by the results of Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA). According to the Mantel test, there was no correlation between the genetic distance and the geographical distance. The present study confirms the existence of two genetically distinct clusters of P. mugo populations in the Tatra Mountains. The observed high population-genetic differentiation of P. mugo in the Tatras could be attributed to several genetic, environmental and historical factors occurring in this mountain area.