Selection of Abies nephrolepis Materials for Restoration of Genetic Diversity in Mt. Gariwangsan Degraded Area

Abstract

This study proposes a strategy for selecting materials for Abies nephrolepis, a key subalpine species, to restore damaged forests in Mt. Gariwangsan while considering genetic diversity. The genetic diversity distribution of A. nephrolepis in Korea was evaluated using nuclear simple-sequence repeat (nSSR) markers and the genetic differences between populations were analyzed. A suitable genetic restoration population was selected and a strategy for selecting restoration materials was presented. The genetic diversity indices of 326 individuals across 10 populations, and the genetic relationships between populations, were analyzed using AMOVA, principal coordinate analysis, UPGMA, and STRUCTURE analysis. The genetic diversity of A. nephrolepis populations averaged 0.791, indicating relatively high genetic diversity. The results showed that the genetic differentiation pattern of A. nephrolepis was divided into two groups: Mt. Jungwangsan and other populations. Therefore, genetically diverse restoration materials can be secured from the Mt. Gariwangsan population to restore damaged areas. We found that individuals distributed within approximately 10 m were autocorrelated due to their high genetic similarity, whereas they were randomly distributed in the range of 15 m or more. The optimal sampling strategy involved collecting seeds from a minimum of 25 individuals within 10 m. This study suggests that genetic diversity in restoration material selection is necessary to enhance adaptability to environmental changes.

Spatial Genetic Structure and Seed Quality of a Southernmost Abies nephrolepis Population

“…It is naturally distributed in the subalpine or boreal forests of eastern Russia, northeast China, and the Korean peninsula (Zhang et It is expected that the potential habitats of A. nephrolepis on the Korean peninsula will decrease to 36.4% by 2070-2099, and most regions in South Korea were expected to be inhabitable (Yun et al 2018). Populations of A. nephrolepis in South Korea had a low level of differentiation, only about 3-8% of total genetic variation resulted from the variation among populations (Woo et al 2008;Hong et al 2011;Seo and Lim 2022). These studies concluded that, in South Korea, only a few populations would be enough for conservation.…”

Spatial genetic structure and seed quality of a southernmost Abies nephrolepis population

“…The Korea Forest Service noted that A. nephrolepis showed a decline rate of 31% in 2019–2020, which was estimated to be caused by higher temperature and droughts 23 It is expected that the potential habitats of A. nephrolepis on the Korean peninsula will decrease to 36.4% by 2070–2099, and most regions in South Korea were expected to be inhabitable 24 . Populations of A. nephrolepis in South Korea had a low level of genetic differentiation and only about 3–8% of total genetic variation resulted from the variation among populations 25 – 27 . These studies suggest that we could make the conservation more efficient by focusing on several populations.…”