Are There Any Traces of Pinus uliginosa in the Stołowe Mountains Outside the Wielkie Torfowisko Batorowskie and Błędne Skały?

Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) and taxa from the P. mugo (mountain pine) complex hybridize in contact zones producing morphologically-intermediate fertile hybrids. However, the hybrid specimens sometimes express only the P. sylvestris phenotype. Such cryptic hybrids were detected among P. sylvestris and P. uliginosa in the western part of Błędne Skały in the Stołowe Mountains, where the pines grow on the tops of sandstone rocks and phenotypically resemble P. sylvestris , P. uliginosa , and P. mugo . Hybrids with the P. sylvestris phenotype could be potentially present in other relic populations of this species in these mountains. During the present study, the hybrids were identified only in the area of Błędne Skały based on chloroplast and mitochondrial markers, morphological differentiation of various needle and cone traits, and phenotype assessments of the trees during sampling. These hybrids included three cryptic hybrids of P. sylvestris × P. mugo with the P. sylvestris phenotype and one displaying the phenotype of P. uliginosa . The other populations analyzed represented Scots pine with no evidence of hybridization with P. uliginosa and/or P. mugo . Biometric data on the cone and needle morphology also suggest possible hybridization within the P. mugo complex on Błędne Skały. The results indicate that hybridization takes place in this population but not in neighboring populations despite the possible connection by pollen-mediated gene flow.

Taxonomic position of Pinus uliginosa Neumann as related to other taxa of Pinus mugo complex

Studies on taxonomic position of <em>Pinus uliginosa</em> Neumann, <em>P. uncinata</em> Ram. and <em>P. mugo</em> Turra, indicate a significant specificity of <em>P. uliginosa</em> population from Wielkie Torfowisko Batorowskie Peat Bog. <em>Pinus uncinata</em> in respect of genetic similarity is close to <em>Pinus mugo</em> Turra populations from the Tatra Mts. The time of divergence of <em>P. uliginosa</em> from the common ancestor, taking into account Nei's genetic distances, is twice as long as in the case of <em>Pinus uncinata</em>. In the view of the results the supposition that <em>Pinus uliginosa</em> from Wielkie Torfowisko Batorowskie Peat Bog is a marginal population of <em>P. uncinata</em> can be excluded, because of their significant difference in genetic structure. The presumable reasons of specificity of <em>P. uliginosa</em> population are disscused.

Studies on phenolic acids variation in Central European Pinus species 1. Five Polish populations of Pinus mugo Turra and some related forms

Phenolic acids were investigated in the needles of eight different pine populations, five of which were <em>Pinus mugo</em>, two -- <em>P. silvestris</em> and one a critical form described by Neumann as <em>P. uliginosa</em>. Twenty different phenolic acids were detected. Six were discovered in pine needles for the first time (salicylic acid, gentisic acid, γ-resorcylic acid, o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, β-resorcylic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). Each of the investigated taxons was shown to exhibit a characteristic spectrum of phenolic acids. The critical form from the locus classicus of <em>Pinus uliginosa</em> is of intermediate character.

Genetic structure and taxonomic position of Pinus uliginosa Neumann population from Wielkie Torfowisko Batorowskie in Stołowe Mts. (locus classicus)

Genetic structure of <i>Pinus uliginosa</i> Neumann from Wielkie Tor-fowisko Batorowskie peat-bog (<i>locus classicus</i>) was studied by means of isoenzyme variability and compared with genetic structure of <i>P. mugo</i> Turra from Tatra Mts and <i>P. sylvestris</i> populations from Klodzka Valley and Czersk. The level of genetic variability in the population of <i>P. uliginosa</i> (heterozygosity, genotypic polymorphism) was similar to that in populations of <i>P. mugo</i>, with an excess of homozygosity in relation to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. An average number of alleles per locus in population of <i>P. uliginosa</i> is the same as in the studied <i>P. sylvestris</i> populations, but the average number of genotypes is slightly lower. However, populations of <i>P. mugo</i> from montaneus stands in Tatra Mts. are characterized by a higher number of alleles per locus than that in <i>P. uliginosa</i> population.In populations of <i>P. mugo</i> from peat-bogs, a lower number of alleles and genotypes is noted than in <i>P. uliginosa</i> population. The coefficients of genetic similarity (Nei and Hedrick) show the distinctly separate character of <i>P. uliginosa</i> as compared to <i>P. sylvestris</i> and loose relationship of this taxon to <i>P. mugo</i>. Also the measure of genetic differentiation of populations (G_ST) confirms the specificity of this pine taxon.

Genetic evaluation of seeds of highly endangered Pinus uliginosa Neumann from Węgliniec reserve for ex-situ conservation program

Peat-bog pine <em>Pinus uliginosa</em> Neumann has become extinct or rare in many parts of Europe. We have investigated the levels of genetic variation and inbreeding in seeds collected from a highly endangered reserve of this species in Poland, using allozymes as genetic markers. Generally, a high level of genetic variation was observed. The mean expected heterozygosity was 0.376, while average (Na) and effective (Ne) numbers of alleles per locus were 2.45 and 1.67, respectively. Nevertheless, we have detected relatively low levels of outcrossing, and potential biparental inbreeding. The population-wide multilocus outcrossing rate was estimated to be 0.706 (±0.091), while the minimum variance mean of single-locus estimates was distinctly lower (ts=0.611). The estimates of outcrossing calculated for individual trees ranged widely from 0.051 to 1.017, indicating the complexity of outcrossing patterns. The investigated population of <em>P. uliginasa</em> from Węgliniec is small and surrounded by extensive forest stands of <em>P. sylvestris</em>. Our three-year records of phenological observations demonstrated that flowering periods for <em>P. uliginosa</em> and <em>P. sylvestris</em> overlap, allowing for cross-pollination. The possibility of <em>P. uliginosa</em> pollination by <em>P. sylvestris</em> creates a potential danger of genetic erosion of the <em>P. uliginosa</em> gene pool. Nonetheless, based on a species specific cpDNA marker we have found that among 533 seedlings of <em>P. uliginosa</em> there were only six seedlings carrying cpDNA marker specific for <em>P. sylvestris</em>, indicating that such hybridization seems to be rare.

Tree-like pines on the Mshana peat bog in the Gorgany Mountains: a trace of Pinus uliginosa migration in the East Carpathians?

The taxonomic position of the population of tree-like, mostly polycormic individuals of pines from the Mshana peat bog in the Gorgany Mountains (East Carpathians, Ukraine) has been studied on the basis of the morphological characteristics of cones and needles, and anatomical characteristics of the needles. These features have been compared with the surrounding <em>Pinus mugo</em> population as well as <em>P. uliginosa</em>, <em>P. mugo</em>, <em>P. sylvestris</em> and <em>P. uncinata</em> from natural populations of the taxa. Tree-like individuals were found to have the most similar needles to <em>P. uliginosa</em>, but most similar cone characteristics to <em>P. mugo</em>. It was concluded, that the tree-like population has a relic character and can present the trace of the early migration of <em>P. uliginosa</em> from the West and its hybridisation with <em>P. mugo</em>.