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Genetic divergence of the sub-alpine shrubby variety, Quercus crispula var. horikawae, from the mountain oak species, Q. crispula, in Japan
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  • Lerma San Jose-Maldia,
  • Asako Matsumoto,
  • Teruyoshi Nagamitsu,
  • Saneyosshi Ueno,
  • Yoshihiko Tsumura
Lerma San Jose-Maldia
University of the Philippines Los BaƱos
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Asako Matsumoto
Forest Research and Management Organisation
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Teruyoshi Nagamitsu
Forest Research and Management Organisation

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Saneyosshi Ueno
Forest Research and Management Organisation
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Yoshihiko Tsumura
University of Tsukuba
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Abstract

Ecotypic divergence in tree taxa often occurs in sub-alpine habitats, where environmental conditions are more stressful than those in lower elevations. In the mountain oak species in Japan, Quercus crispula (Qc), the sub-alpine shrubby variety, Q. crispula var. horikawae (Qch), has been recognized in central and northern Honshu. Although Qch has different phenotypes from Qc, genetic divergence between Qc and Qch has not been examined yet. Pairs of Qc and Qch populations in eight locations and additional Qc and Qch populations around these locations were investigated. Leaf size of Qch was smaller than that of Qc. Chloroplast DNA haplotypes were shared between the Qc and Qch populations. In genotypes at 29 nuclear microsatellite loci, genetic diversity did not differ between the Qc and Qch populations. Principal component analysis and a neighbor-joining tree of populations based on microsatellite genotypes demonstrated that 13 Qc populations and eight Qch populations were grouped separately, except for three Qch populations that were grouped to Qc. Climatic conditions in the eight Qch populations were characterized by lower temperature and heavier snowfall than those in the 16 populations of the genetic group of Qc. These results suggest the genetic divergence between Qc and Qch associated with sub-alpine climatic conditions, irrespective of leaf size. The origin of the sub-alpine Qch lineage and the history of ecotypic divergence should be investigated in future genomic studies.
01 Sep 2023Submitted to Plant Species Biology
04 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
04 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
04 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
04 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
14 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
26 Oct 20231st Revision Received
26 Oct 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Oct 2023Submission Checks Completed
26 Oct 2023Assigned to Editor
02 Nov 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned