Open AccessSpatial genetic structure in a Neolitsea sericea population (Lauraceae)
Author(s) -
Chung Myong Gi,
Chung Mi Yoon,
Oh Gap Soo,
Epperson B. K.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
heredity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.441
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1365-2540
pISSN - 0018-067X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2540.2000.00781.x
Subject(s) - biology , lauraceae , genetic diversity , population , genetic structure , ecology , zoology , evolutionary biology , demography , sociology
Neolitsea sericea (Bl.) Koidz. (Lauraceae) is a dioecious, insect‐pollinated, and broad‐leaved evergreen tree with bird‐dispersed seeds. We used allozyme loci, F ‐statistics, and spatial autocorrelation statistics (Moran’s I ) to examine the changes in genetic structure among five age classes within a study population (60 m × 100 m area) in southern Korea. No significant differences in expected heterozygosity were found among the age classes. The mean F ‐values averaged over loci were similar among age classes and showed overall conformance of heterozygosities with Hardy–Weinberg proportions. Differences in allelic frequencies among age classes were small (mean G ST =0.012), and statistically significant only for one locus ( Pgd‐2 ). The mean Moran’s I ‐values for each of five age classes indicated essentially random spatial distribution. The homogeneity of genetic structure and genetic diversity among the five age classes may reflect the occurrence of similar reproductive events, year after year. The results may reflect the attractive red drupes of N. sericea in that they cause various frugivorous birds to disperse the seed long distances and independently, which in turn may help N. sericea maintain higher levels of genetic diversity within populations.