Genetic diversity and morphological variation of Pinus gerardiana along the environmental gradient from Zhob, Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract. Gul J, Saeed S, Ahmed A, Leghari SK, Basit A, Rehman A, Khan MZ. 2021. Genetic diversity and morphological variation of Pinus gerardiana along the environmental gradient from Zhob, Balochistan, Pakistan. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 121-128. Pinus gerardiana, an evergreen gymnosperm, is an economically- and ecologically valuable tree found in the Takhte Suleman Mountain Range, Zhob northeastern edge of the Balochistan, Pakistan. The present study is based on the assessment of the impact of environmental gradients with special reference to altitudinal gradient and soil variables on morphological, phytochemicals and genetic variation of P. gerardiana. A total of 27 genotypes of P. gerardiana were collected from the three elevation zones ranging from 2000 - 3500 m above sea level. The genetic diversity was assessed by combined markers, the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and the Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR). Polymorphic bands analyzed the data to generate a dendrogram, based on the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). Morphological characters assessed the morphological characters. Phytochemicals were investigated; the total phenolic content and total flavonoid contents were estimated and compared amongst all accessions. Our results revealed variations along altitudinal gradients and related to soil characteristics. The populations at the Middle altitude zone have greater diversity than populations at lower and higher altitudes. The resulting altitudinal variation can be attributed to various geographical and environmental conditions. These results can help in conservation and cultivation of this economically important tree.

Genetic Diversity Within and Among Populations of Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss. from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Revealed by RAPD Markers

“…The population of ANP belongs to the moist temperate region but it grouped separately with the cluster of NAR and BOR due to close geographic distance and same elevation (Ginwal et al, 2010). Similar findings were reported by Gul et al (2021) while studying the genetic diversity of Pinus gerardiana along the environmental gradient from Zhob, Quetta, Pakistan and by Sinha et al (2013) who investigated the genetic diversity of Pinus roxburghii Sarg., which was gathered from various Indian Himalayan locations.…”

“…Further, unlike other DNA markers, no cloning of DNA fragment, radioactivity or DNA sequencing information is required for this technique (Yermagambetova, 2023). This approach has been successfully applied to study genetic variations in many tree species such as Norway spruce (Picea abies) (Bucci and Menozzi, 1995), Black spruce (Picea mariana) (Perron et al, 1995), White-engelmann spruce (Picea gluaca) (Khasa and Dancik, 1996), (Xue et al, 2007), Black (Picea asperata) and red Spruce (Picea rubens) (Xue et al, 2007;Nkongolo et al, 2003), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) (Van de Ven and McNicol, 1995), Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) (Ginwal et al, 2010;Sinha et al, 2013), Red pine (Pinus resinosa) (Mosseler et al, 1992), Pinus gerardiana (Gul et al, 2021), Taxus wallichana (Saikia et al, 2000), Cedrus deodara (Rai et al, 2020), Eucalyptus (Keil and Griffin, 1994), Populus spp., (Castiglione et al, 1993;Rajagopal et al, 2000) , Mango (Mansour et al, 2014), and many more. RAPD also offers a wide range of applications in the fields of population genetics, gene mapping, plant and animal breeding, and evolutionary genetics due to the method's simplicity and low cost (Nandani and Thakur, 2014).…”

Evaluation of biochemical, physiological traits and percentage of essential oil of sickleweed (Falcaria vulgaris) population in different geographical and climatic regions

“…The choosing and developing plants with high medicinal potential, high yield, or resilience to environmental stress requires an understanding of the variance in biochemical and physiological properties of plants across different geographic and climatic locations. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that influence plant diversity and environment adaption is also crucial [ 24 , 25 ].…”

“…For instance, it has been discovered that arid regions with little rainfall and high temperatures have higher levels of medicinal plants in terms of their total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and essential oil content. The influence of environmental elements like temperature, rainfall, and soil type can be used to explain the diversity in the biochemical characteristics of medicinal plants across various geographical areas [23][24][25][26][27].…”

Estimating the Genetic Diversity of Oranges Citrus spp. in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Using RAPD Markers

“…Tis mechanism depends on fower structure, mutations, migration, and mating systems [50,62,63]. Genetic variation is a key factor in the conservation of biodiversity [64], as the loss of genetic variation can hinder a species' ability to respond to natural selection [65]. Te observed genetic variation among samples taken from diferent regions with varying ecological conditions and elevations may be attributed to diferences in seed sources or the infuence of mutations and natural crossbreeding [66].…”