Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-12-2020
Year of Publication
2020
Degree Name
Master of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Sciences (MSFNRS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Forestry and Natural Resources
First Advisor
Dr. Jian Yang
Second Advisor
Dr. John Lhotka
Abstract
This research assesses the effects of silvicultural thinnings, varying in residual basal area and number of thinnings, on genetic diversity and relatedness of white oak (Quercus alba L.). The objectives were to (1) develop microsatellite DNA markers (simple sequence repeats, SSRs) for assessing the genetic diversity of white oak and (2) determine if thinnings significantly change the degree of diversity and relatedness in white oak stands. For objective 1, 84 primer pairs from previously predicted genomic SSRs of white oak were evaluated for consistent PCR amplification and polymorphism. Twenty of the 84 primer pairs amplified consistently and were confirmed to be polymorphic. For objective 2, 16 markers were amplified across 225 white oak trees sampled from seven half-acre plots from a thinning experiment on the Daniel Boone National Forest. Measurements of heterozygosity, total and effective allele numbers, deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and pair-wise genetic relatedness were calculated using GenAlEx 6.5. Analysis suggests that thinning decreases observed heterozygosity relative to expected and relatedness between trees in thinned treatment plots compared to plots that were not thinned. Consideration of genetic effects should be made when thinning white oak stands to maintain genetic diversity while enhancing reproductive success and future stand establishment.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2020.155
Funding Information
Cooperative agreement with the Department of Forestry and the Forest Health Research and Education Center, 2014-2019
Recommended Citation
Thunder, Rachel Gayle, "EFFECTS OF THINNING REGIMES ON GENETIC VARIATION OF WHITE OAK (QUERCUS ALBA L.) IN UPLAND OAK FORESTS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY" (2020). Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources. 54.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/forestry_etds/54
Included in
Forest Sciences Commons, Genetics Commons, Plant Sciences Commons
