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Chestnut genetic landscape shape in spain

Abstract:

Conservation and utilization strategies require fundamental knowledge about levels of genetic diversity, population genetic structure and effective population size, because they are the key elements that determine a species' ability to respond to selection, either natural and artificial procedures. Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), widely distributed around Europe, is a multipurpose tree species of great economic importance for fruit and timber. Although there is information about chestnut traditional cultivars, up to now, there is no complete information on the genetic diversity of natural populations in Spain. In this study, patterns of genetic variation and structure were assessed within and between 16 natural populations of chestnut in Spain by means of seven microsatellite loci. This study allowed us to describe levels and distribution of genetic variability in Spanish chestnut populations. High levels of variability were found, and the populations also displayed a geographical pattern, indicating a separation between populations from the western and eastern part, respectively, of the Iberian Peninsula.