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Genetic variation and fitness: Conservation lessons from pines

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Conservation Genetics

Part of the book series: EXS ((EXS,volume 68))

Summary

Pines are an important component of the boreal ecosystem, and many species are important crop plants. Information on patterns of variation and on the nature of inbreeding depression are needed both for conservation and tree breeding purposes. Populations of Pinus sylvestris are highly differentiated with respect to some adaptive quantitative variation. However, marker loci (enzyme loci, DNA) have so far not provided similar patterns of variability. It is one goal of molecular marker studies to locate clinal variation in the DNA itself. The genetic basis of inbreeding depression in Pinus sylvestris has been studied. Results on correlation between individual heterozygosity and fitness provide little evidence for the overdominance model. Instead, deleterious recessive genes are well documented in this and other species of conifers. Most species carry large numbers of embryonic lethal equivalents. Further, in later life stages may more deleterious recessives influence growth, survival, and reproduction. The implications of the genetic load for conservation and breeding are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Oulu, SF-90570, Oulu, Finland

    O. Savolainen

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  1. O. Savolainen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    V. Loeschcke

  2. Department of Agronomy and Range Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    S. K. Jain

  3. Section of Clinical Genetics, University of TĂĽbingen, Wilhelmstr. 27, D-72074, TĂĽbingen, Germany

    J. Tomiuk

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© 1994 Springer Basel AG

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Savolainen, O. (1994). Genetic variation and fitness: Conservation lessons from pines. In: Loeschcke, V., Jain, S.K., Tomiuk, J. (eds) Conservation Genetics. EXS, vol 68. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-8510-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-8510-2_4

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-9657-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-8510-2

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