Variation in cone morphology and seed characters in Pinus strobus in Quebec

Abstract

To investigate the patterns of variation in white pine (Pinus strobus L.), 10 natural populations from Quebec were compared using the phenotypic variation of cone and seed traits. Eight characters were measured on 10 cones collected from 30 trees in each of the 10 sampled populations. Four populations were from the Ottawa River region and four from the St. Lawrence Lowlands region, while two populations were at the margin of the natural range of the species in Quebec, from the Abitibi region and Anticosti Island. Significant differences among populations were detected for each character. Estimates of repeatability of these traits were relatively high, suggesting substantial genotypic control over them. These estimates were consistent from population to population. Results of multivariate analyses suggest that populations from the Ottawa River region are similar to those from the St. Lawrence region, with populations from these regions diverging only in cone scale length. However, populations from the St. Lawrence region were more distinct from each other than those from the Ottawa River region. The population from Abitibi deviates considerably from the other populations, suggesting habitat-selection pressures acting at the margin of the natural range of the species under continental conditions. Finally, no general geographical trend was detected in the observed variation. Key words: white pine, morphology, cone, seed, variation.