Pacific Southwest

Title: Isozymes and the genetic resources of forest trees

Author: Brown, A. H. D.; Moran, G. F.

Date: 1981

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-48. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: p. 1-10

Station ID: GTR-PSW-048

Description: Genetic data are an essential prerequisite for analysing the genetic structure of tree populations. The isozyme technique is the best currently available method for obtaining such data. Despite several shortcomings, isozyme data directly evaluate the genetic resources of forest trees, and can thus be used to monitor and manipulate these resources. For example, preliminary isozyme data indicate that domestication of cultivated species has generally reduced variation within populations. Geographic differences among natural populations are less evident in trees than in herbaceous plants, but need to be considered in sampling and conservation strategies. In dealing with remnant population size (Nr) and distribution, management programs should recognize that the half-life of heterozygosity is about 1.4 Nr generations, whereas the number of trees required to retain half the current alleles after a bottleneck is about the square root of the original population size.

Keywords: 

View and Print this Publication (415 KB)

Publication Notes: 

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
• You may send email to pubrequest@fs.f ed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)

 Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility

Citation

Brown, A. H. D.; Moran, G. F.   1981.  Isozymes and the genetic resources of forest trees.   Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-48. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: p. 1-10.