Population-genetic variation in Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. from the main forest regions of Ukraine

Using electrophoretic analysis of 22 isozyme loci controlling ten enzyme systems, we studied intrapopulation and interpopulation variation of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. in the main forest regions of Ukraine. In 15 of the populations examined, 76.5% of genes were polymorphic, and an average plant was shown to be heterozygous at 23.2% of the genes. The lowest and highest values of major polymorphism parameters were characteristic of respectively the relic populations of Ukrainian Carpathians and the populations from the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Nei's genetic distances between the populations varied from 0.006 to 0.031 (on average 0.016). Cluster analysis failed to show clear trends in the population distribution relative to their geographical position.