Genetic diversity analysis of the natural regeneration loci of <i>Liriodendron chinense</i> in artificial mixed forests in the rocky desertification area of Western Hunan

<i>Liriodendron chinense</i> plays a crucial role in improving the ecological environment and combating soil erosion in the rocky desertification area of Western Hunan, China. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on the genetic diversity of natural populations of the <i>L. chinense</i> in rocky desertification areas. This study employed 11 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to analyze genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure in a population of 318 <i>L. chinense</i> individuals. We conducted parentage analysis on individuals from a limited area of natural regeneration to quantify pollen and seed-mediated gene flow separately. Based on diameter classification, <i>L. chinense</i> individuals in the large diameter class can be considered as potential parents. The results show that there is moderate genetic diversity in the natural populations of the <i>L. chinense</i>. The spatial genetic patterns of the adult individuals indicate that significant gene flow occurs primarily at short to medium distances, with about 70% occurring within a range of less than 80 m. Among the 318 <i>L. chinense</i> individuals analyzed, 201 were predominantly assigned to the parental generation, with 41 showing closest genetic similarity to the maternal parent. These results indicate that the majority of pollen (63.2%) originated from within the sampling area, which suggests a substantial proportion of natural regeneration occurred within the 2.5 hm² stand. These findings further elucidate the natural regeneration process of <i>L. chinense</i> and provide a theoretical foundation for ecological restoration efforts in rocky desertification areas.