Genetic structure of a naturally regenerating Scots pine population tolerant for high pollution near a zinc smelter

A comparison of the genetic structure for a group of 10 to 15 year old Scots pine trees originating from natural regeneration in an extremely polluted area with the genetic structure of 9 reference populations from the same geographical region but only slightly polluted, have demonstrated differences in alleles and genotypes frequencies. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) was lower by 12% for the group of trees from the polluted area. Fixation index (F) exhibited significant excess of homozygotes (F=0.15) in the group of tolerant trees. Average numbers of alleles per locus was higher by 8% in the group of trees from the polluted site. This differs from results from areas with the novel forest decline. Based on the differences in allele and genotype frequencies one might concluded that some of the alleles have a selective disadvantage or a selective advantage in the group of trees in the studied polluted area.