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Knowing the level of genetic diversity and structure in marginal plant populations is essential for managing their genetic resources. This is particularly important for rare scattered tree species, such as Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz. We investigated the genetic diversity and its spatial distribution in peripheral populations of S. torminalis. As the species is known to reproduce vegetatively, we also evaluated clonal structure within populations. Using 13 nuclear microsatellite loci designed in two multiplexes, we genotyped 172 individuals revealing the existence of 100 distinct genotypes. Number of ramets per genotype was variable across populations with an average of 1.72. Examples of somaclonal variation at particular loci were detected. Measures of genetic diversity of the total sample were relatively high (mean allelic richness AR = 10.293; expected heterozygosity He = 0.756), as compared to other S. torminalis populations. We noticed a slightly negative inbreeding coefficient (FIS = -0.029) indicating a small excess of heterozygotes, which is typical for self-incompatible plants. Genetic differentiation among populations was low (FST = 0.048), but Bayesian clustering methods revealed the existence of three distinct genetic clusters only in part related to population structure. Significant spatial genetic structure within populations was also detected (Sp = 0.0125) indicating fine-scale pattern of isolation by distance. Our study demonstrated that peripheral populations of S. torminalis may exhibit relatively high levels of genetic diversity despite the existence of vegetative propagation. Nevertheless, if the studied or similar populations are expected to be utilized as seed sources for ex-situ or in-situ conservation purposes, the existence of clonal structure and spatial genetic structure must be taken into account in order to avoid excessive sampling of the same or closely related genets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the distribution of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotype variation is useful for studying the phylogeography of angiosperms. In the last two decades the cpDNA phylogeography of white oaks in Europe has been extensively studied, mostly based on the PCR-RFLP technique. However, PCR-RFLPs have low mutation rates and are primarily useful for reconstructing patterns at large geographical scales and lack resolution at fine spatial scales. Here we evaluate the usefulness of chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSR) as an alternative to PCRRFLPs in Polish oak populations which have been underrepresented in previous studies. Eighty-five cpSSR haplotypes were detected using 14 cpSSR loci and a broad collection of 6680 trees sampled throughout Poland. Haplotype diversity was significantly lower in Q. petraea (He = 0.798) than in Q. robur (He = 0.820). Only 17 haplotypes (H01-H17) were found in 13 or more individuals, comprising together 97.9% of the sample. Most frequent cpSSR haplotypes were related to PCR-RFLP haplotypes, establishing the cross-references between the two marker systems. There was significant concordance between the matrices of genetic distances obtained by PCR-RFLP haplotypes and cpSSR haplotypes. Phylogenetic relationships among cpSSR haplotypes supported the existence of the three predominant maternal lineages of oaks in Poland: Iberian (7.8%), Apennine (20.6%) and Balkan (65.5%). The results are discussed with regards to the usefulness of cpSSR markers for phylogeographic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]