Genetic diversity and mating system of Scots pine plus trees

We have investigated genetic diversity and the mating system of Scots pine plus trees from the Tuchola Forests – Poland, using allozymes as genetic markers. The studied plus trees possess high genetic diversity (expected heterozygosity He = 0.427) and low inbreeding (Wright’s index F = –0.028), which is comparable to Scots pine trees observed in other studies in natural populations and seed orchards. The mating system analyses revealed that almost all offspring produced by the plus trees were due to outcrossing (tm = 0.983), with no apparent bi-parental inbreeding. The estimate of correlation of paternity indicated that each of mother trees is pollinated on average by a relatively large number of effective males (Nep = 30.3). The observed genetic diversity and mating system patterns indicate that the seeds produced by the studied plus trees possess high genetic variation needed in reforestation processes.