Genetic diversity of natural Silver fir populations in Bulgaria

By

Evtimov, Ivan
Bergmann, Fritz
Zhelev, Petar

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024-12-31

Original Publication

Silva Balcanica

Volume

25

Series / Issue

Issue: 3

Pages

85--98

Subjects

Abies alba , allozymes , Conservation , genetic differentiation , Variation

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Forest Research Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (FRI-BAS) [2001]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/silvabalcanica.25.e135501

 

Abstract

Genetic diversity of eleven natural populations of Silver Fir in Bulgaria was studied by means of allozyme gene markers. Within population diversity varied among populations and was generally high, but within the range reported for other European populations of the species. Mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 2.1 to 2.4 and effective allele number – from 1.2 to 1.5. Expected and observed heterozygo-sities were also high (mean values 0.295 and 0.265, respectively), but there was significant heterozygote deficiency in most loci and populations, resulting in positive inbreeding coefficient (mean FIS=0.049). Differentiation among populations was low (FST = 0.027), resulting probably from extensive gene flow and recent divergence. The results are discussed in the light of conservation and sustainable management of Silver Fir natural populations.