Genetic Variations Among And Within The Populations Of Calabrian Pine (Pinus Brutia Ten.) In Turkey

Aim of study: Generic variety is an important criterion for the sustainability of economically important tree species. The aim of this study was to determine the differences among registered seed stands of Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) based on some morphological traits in TurkeyMaterial and Methods: For this purpose, seed samples from 14 registered seed stands dominated by the species were obtained from the Forest Tree Seed and Tree Breeding Research Directorate of Turkey. Thirteen morphological traits of the seedlings including the germination percentage, survival rate, survival rate/germination percentage ratio, root-collar diameter (when seedlings were 40-45 days old), hypocotyl length, cotyledon number, cotyledon length, cotyledon width, root-collar diameter (when seedlings were 1-year old), epicotyl length, needle length, needle width, and branch number were monitored.Main results: The obtained data was analyzed using the Cluster and Penrose analysis. The Cluster and Penrose analysis showed that there were significant differences among and within the Pinus brutia seed stands in terms of the morphologic characteristics. Genetic variances among the populations were much lower than those within the populations.Research highlights: The study suggested that high genetic variation within the population may be an occasion for the genetic improvement in breeding programs.