Genetic variability of Siberian fir Abies sibirica Ledeb. inferred from AFLP markers

Genetic variability of AFLP markers was studied in 20 populations of Siberian fir (Abies sibirica, Pinaceae) and in two populations of Far-Eastern species Manchurian fir A. nephrolepis and Sakhalin fir A. sachalinensis each. Four pairs of selective primers were used. In total, 168 samples from three fir species were genotyped for 117 polymorphic loci. According to the AMOVA results, the variability proportion characterizing the differences among three Abies species was several times higher (F _CT = 0.53) than that acounting for population differences within the species (F _SC = 0.125). Differentiation of the A. sibirica populations based on AFLP markers exceeded 14% (F _ST = 0.141). Significant correlation between the genetic distances calculated from the AFLP data and the geographic distances between populations was found. The results of AFLP variability analysis supported and supplemented the conclusions inferred previously from allozyme and cpSSR data: several genetically similar geographic groups of Siberian fir were identified. These groups differ both in allele frequencies and in the levels of genetic variation.