A Methodological Approach for Assessment of the Spatial Genetic Structure Within Scots Pine Stands Based on DNA Markers

Abstract

The objective of our study was to test the suitability of several main spatial analysis methods to detect spatial genetic structure in Scots pine stands. We used a sub-set of 47 trees representing a sub-plot of 0.5 ha within a large sample plot selected within a 200-year-old Scots pine stand of natural origin in Punia in central Lithuania. We used 11 nSSR loci to estimate the genetic distance between the 47 trees. The analysis included: PCA, the Mantel test, spatial autocorrelation tests and Bayesian clustering. The results of this pilot study indicate that for well spatially uniform clusters, spatial autocorrelation and Mantel tests may detect the spatial structure, but for highly overlapping structures we suggest Bayesian clustering. Regarding the spatial structure with the subplot of 47 trees selected for this study, 9 highly overlapping clusters were obtained with Bayesian clustering. Our preliminary conclusion is that the spatial genetic structure in natural Scots pine stands is complex and there is an indication of highly intermixed structures, probably a consequence of multiple establishment events