ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica 47/2: 53-59, 2005

Clonal Structure of Small Isolated Populations of Pinus mugo Turra from Peatbogs in the Tatra Mts

Wiesław Prus-Głowacki*, Alina Bączkiewicz**, and Dorota Wysocka

Department of Genetics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 
ul. Międzychodzka 5, 60-371 Poznań

*e-mail: prusw@main.amu.edu.pl
**alinbacz@main.amu.edu.pl 

Received February 15, 2004; revision accepted June 2, 2005

This study examined genetic variability at 11 allozyme loci and the clonal structure of peatbog populations of dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo Turra) from three small isolated stands in the Tatra Mts, Poland. The percentage of clones in the peatbog populations was high, 48.45% on average. Genetic variability was lower in these populations than in populations from the continuous range of the species. The mean number of alleles per locus (A) was 2.2. Estimates of total (HT = 0.231) and within-population (HS = 0.224) genetic diversity were very similar. Differentiation between populations was low (DST = 0.7%; GST = 2.1%;). Gene flow (Nm = 8.11) was also relatively low because of their geographic isolation. Wright's fixation index (F) for all examined enzymatic loci demonstrated that the populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

Key words: Pinus mugo Turra, genetic variability, isozymes, clones, isolated populations, gene flow.