Premium
Somatic mutations as a useful tool for studying clonal dynamics in trees
Author(s) -
HEINZE BERTHOLD,
FUSSI BARBARA
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03964.x
Subject(s) - biology , microsatellite , clone (java method) , evolutionary biology , ecology , tree (set theory) , genetics , gene , allele , mathematical analysis , mathematics
The seemingly eternal cycles of clonal growth in many tree species, with members of Populus (aspen, poplars, cottonwoods and the like) featuring most prominently, provoke a number of questions on the interface between ecology, genetics and forestry. In this issue, two groups present their approaches to clonal dynamics (Ally et al . 2008 and Mock et al . 2008), using microsatellite (or simple sequence repeat, SSR) variation in P. tremuloides . Ally et al . developed and applied a model for using microsatellites to estimate clone age and infer other community characteristics. Mock et al . used fewer microsatellites but in more individuals, to examine clone size and distribution across the landscape.