Conservation Genetics of High Elevation Five-Needle White Pines
Conservation Genetics of High Elevation Five-Needle White Pines Conservation Genetics of High Elevation Five-Needle White Pines Andrew D. Bower, USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest, Olympia, WA; Sierra C. McLane, University of British Columbia, Dept. of Forest Sciences, Vancouver, BC; Andrew Eckert, University of California Davis, Section of Plenary Paper Evolution and Ecology, Davis, CA; Stacy Jorgensen, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Geography, Manoa, HI; Anna Schoettle, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO; Sally Aitken, University of British Columbia, Dept. of Forest Sciences, Vancouver, BC Abstract—Conservation genetics examines the biophysical factors population structure using molecular markers and quanti- influencing genetic processes and uses that information to conserve tative traits and assessing how these measures are affected and maintain the evolutionary potential of species and popula- by ecological changes. Genetic diversity is influenced by the tions. Here we review published and unpublished literature on the evolutionary forces of mutation, selection, migration, and conservation genetics of seven North American high-elevation drift, which impact within- and among-population genetic five-needle pines. Although these species are widely distributed across much of western North America, many face considerable diversity in differing ways. Discussions of how these forces conservation challenges: they are not valued for timber, yet they impact genetic diversity can be found in many genetics texts have high ecological value; they are susceptible to the introduced (for example Frankham and others 2002; Hartl and Clark disease white pine blister rust (caused by the fungus Cronartium 1989) and will not be discussed here. ribicola) and endemic-turned-epidemic pests; and some are affect- ed by habitat fragmentation and successional replacement by other Why Is Genetic Diversity Important? species.
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