Pattern and magnitude of genetic diversity in Pinus nigra ARNOLD subspecies pallasiana populations from Kazdagi: Implications for in situ conservation

To determine the genetic structure of black pine (Pinus nigra ARNOLD subspe cies pallasiana), populations sampled from Kazdag (Eybekli, Asar, Katrandag , Kalklm, Gurgendag, Kapidag, Mihlidere). Isozymes from 16 enzyme systems w ere investigated from haploid female megagametophytes by starch gel electro phoresis. Twenty-nine loci were resolved from the 16 enzyme systems assayed. The resu lts indicated that the mean number of alleles per locus (A) and polymorphis ms (P) did not vary significantly in the populations studied. The mean numb er of alleles per locus (A) was around 1.67 (range, 1.65 to 1.69). Polymorp hisms varied between 51.7% in Kapidag and 58.6% in Mihlidere populations. O bserved heterozygosity (H-obs) was the highest (0.186) in Asar and the lowe st (0.122) in Gurgendag populations. The expected heterozygosities (H-exp) ranged between 0.283 (in Asar) and 0.248 (in Katrandag) There were large di fferences between H-obs and H-exp. Ninety-four percent of the total observe d genetic variation was within populations. NEI's genetic distances also sh owed that variation among populations is relatively low suggesting that no population differentiation has occurred. From the estimated average genetic distances between populations, it is evident that the genetic distances be tween population pairs were low, ranging from 0.01 to 0.04. Genetically, mo st similar population pairs were Eybekli-Asar and Kalkim-Gurgendag, and the least similar ones were Eybekli-Kapidag, Eybekli-Kapidag, Eybekli-Mihlider e, and Mihlidere-Gurgendag. Based on the genetic diversity measurements and genetic distance between po pulations, Asar (or Eybekli), Mihlidere and Gurgendag: populations seem to be forming genetically distinct groups. These populations were, therefore, recommended as potential Gene Manegement Zones (GMZ) to conserve the geneti c resources of Anatolian black pine in the Kazdag Region in Turkey.