Spatial genetic structure of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Germany- results from the 4th German National Forest Inventory

Abstract In the course of the 4th German National Forest Inventory about 5,000 samples of Scots pine have been collected all over Germany. Analysis of 21 mitochondrial SNP markers on the collected samples allowed the detection of a clear spatial genetic structure separating Northeast and Southwest Germany. This spatial genetic structure is continued in neighbouring European countries and Germany appears to represent a border region between different genetic lineages of Scots pine. Analysis of more than 30,000 nuclear SNPs from the PiSy50k SNP array also allowed the detection of a weak but spatially coherent genetic structure mirroring the Northeast and Southwest separation detected with the mitochondrial markers. Northeast Germany appears to have been populated quite evenly by two relatively distinct genetic lineages of different origin and shows a slightly increased genetic diversity in contrast to the rest of Germany. Southwest Germany has been populated by two less distinct genetic lineages, one of them dominating in the West and one of them in the South. Additionally, a large haplotype block or potential inversion on linkage group/chromosome 12 which is mainly distributed in Northwest Germany has been identified.