Variability of Genetic nSSR Markers in Anthropogeneously Disturbed Scots Pine Populations in Middle and Western Siberia: Methodological Aspects of Genetic Monitoring

— The results of an analysis of nuclear microsatellite loci (nSSR) for studying the genetic diversity of natural populations of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) in the southern taiga and forest steppe of Middle and Western Siberia affected by fires and logging of different intensity are presented. Six polymorphic loci suitable for studying the genetic variability of the populations of the species in Siberia have been selected. The set of genetic markers used had never been studied in the Siberian part of the species range. Population genetic studies are carried out in 13 Siberian populations of Scots pine (26 samples) based on selected nSSR markers (psyl57, PtTx2146, lw_isotig04195, lw_isotig04306, lw_isotig10603, and lw_isotig21953) containing a total of 62 alleles. Fifteen of them are found only in one (two) of the populations and can be used to study the spatial and population structure of the species and determine the geographical boundaries of the populations. It has been established that their variability is significantly higher compared to isoenzyme markers; they contain a significant number of rare and very rare alleles and are quite informative for the purposes of genetic monitoring and assessing the impact of forestry activities and other natural and anthropogenic damaging factors on intrapopulation genetic diversity and the sustainability of one of the main forest-forming coniferous species of Siberia. In the process of analyzing the similarity of populations of the species according to the studied markers, a certain relationship is revealed between the genetic differentiation of populations and their geographical location which is often not detected when using isoenzyme markers.