DNA markers have become effective tools in genetic diversity studies of
forest trees. However, molecular marker analyses are associated with
laborious and costly effort. One of the possibilities to overcome these
constraints is to analyze bulked samples per population, rather than
individual plants. We have used bulked DNA-based AFLP analysis to investigate
genetic variations in Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) from the IUFRO 1982
provenance trial in K?rnik (western Poland). Four AFLP primer combinations
yielded a total of 309 bands, of which 208 (67.31%) were polymorphic.
Thirty-six (11.65%) unique alleles were deployed randomly among the
populations. Estimated genetic diversity and differentiation was high, as
expressed by He = 0.238 and I = 0.356, and by genetic distance values which
ranged from 0.154 to 0.363. A geographic pattern of interpopulation
differentiation was observed, pointing to the individual character of
populations from northeastern Europe. In the light of available data, we
discuss the influence of historical migration routes, gene flow and human
activity on observed genetic diversity and differentiation of Scots pine in
Europe. Our results indicate that the AFLP method applied to DNA templates
extracted from bulked leaf samples provides an efficient approach to
elucidate genetic diversity and relationships among Scots pine populations.