Genetic Variation in Abies alba Investigated by Allozyme Analysis : Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Oesterreichischen Biochemischen Gesellschaft und der Oesterreichischen Gesellschaft fuer Genetik und Gentechnik 21.-23. September 1992
Reduced adaptability as a consequence of insufficient genetic variability has been considered a major cause for silver fir decline in central Europe (Larsen 1986). Therefore it appears important to determine the amount of genetic variation and thus the latent genetic potential in this species. Buds in winter dormancy were harvested from 390 trees of Abies alba in 6 different regions of Austria (Wienerwald, Wald- und Muehlviertel, Steiermark, Kaernten, Tirol, Vorarlberg). The electrophoretic patterns of 4 polymorphic enzyme loci were analysed. The allelic frequencies indicate genetic differentiation between provenances. The amount of variation measured as average heterozygosity and multilocus genotypic variation is substantially higher in teh western regions. The genotypic differentiation between the western and the eastern regions can be used for the determination of the geographic origin. In addition, enzyme analysis proved suitable for clone identification. Gradual frequency changes (clines) in the east-west direction were observed at all four loci. These clines can be explained by the postglacial migrationroutes from a refuge in central Italy, postulated on the basis of fossil pollen analysis (Kral 1979). With Idh-2, functional differences between the coexisting alleles 100 and 144 were detected with respect to substrate specifity suggesting a possible adaptive importance of this polymorphism.
