Microgeographic genetic variation of Sitka spruce in southeastern Alaska

Abstract

Microgeographic genetic variation among populations of Sitka spruce on Mitkof Island in southeastern Alaska is described. In two common-garden environments, we evaluated genotypes of 208 parent trees from 114 locations in a 17 000-ha area. Two principal components accounted for most of the variation among locations in 11 traits measured to evaluate growth vigor and rhythm of 2-year-old seedlings. Regression analyses of factor scores derived from principal components revealed genetic gradients associated with elevation, slope, aspect, and west–east and north–south direction. Large amounts of additive genetic variation in factor scores occurred among trees within locations. When this variation within locations was used as a scale, variation among locations was also large. In an extreme case, locations differed in factor scores of the first principal component by about 3.0 units of the standard deviation of additive genetic variation in factor scores. Of the total differentiation in this case, elevational range (600 m) contributed 0.7 units of standard deviation, aspect contributed 0.9 units, and distance (16 km) from north central to southeastern parts of the island contributed 1.4 units.