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Population Biology of Faguscrenata Blume I. Demographic Genetic Differentiations of Lowland and Montane Populations in Toyama, Central Honshu, Japan
Author(s) -
OHKAWA TOMOSHI,
NAGAI YUKIO,
MASUDA JUNZO,
KITAMURA KEIKO,
KAWANO SHOICHI
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
plant species biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1442-1984
pISSN - 0913-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-1984.1998.tb00252.x
Subject(s) - biology , montane ecology , beech , population , ecology , foothills , genetic variability , genetic variation , population fragmentation , demography , gene flow , genetics , sociology , gene , genotype
Based on demographic genetic differentiations, six isolated small lowland populations and one continuous large montane population of the Siebold's beech forests (Fagus crenata) in Toyama Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, were examined using isozymes as genetic markers. The results of within and among‐population genetic variabilities revealed that all six lowland populations, which are fragmented and isolated from each other at present, showed significantly lower percentages of polymorphic loci (P) and lower mean numbers of alleles per locus (A) than the montane population. Fluctuations in allele frequencies were observed in lowland populations. Alleles that were rare in the montane populationshowed unexpectedly higher frequencies in some lowland populations. The mean FST value of the lowland populations (0.116) was significantly higher than that of the montane population in Tateyama (0.005)and several other populations analyzed. All these facts suggest that small isolated Siebold's beech populations remaining on the foothills in the lowlands of Toyama Prefecture have been exposed to climate shifts and strong human disturbances, which result in fragmentation and isolation of local populations. On the other hand, the large continuous montane population on Tateyama maintains a higher genetic variability, with genetic reshuffling within and among subpopulations. Spatial genetic localizations and the resulting changes in the size‐class structure in lowland populations were also discussed in relation to the demographic changes.