Genetic variation of chloroplast and nuclear markers in natural populations of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) in Germany

Corylus avellana L. (hazel) is a long-lived, monoecious and wind-pollinated shrub species, widespread all over Europe. In Germany, hazel is intensively traded and planted, and thus is of central interest from a nature conservancy point of view. To assess the within- and between-population differentiation of hazel, 20 natural populations (18 from Germany, one from Italy and one from Hungary) were investigated genetically. Seven isozyme systems comprising 11 gene loci were analysed in up to 100 samples (average 92.6) per population, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) were analysed in up to 50 samples (average 47.4) and nine cpDNA-SSR markers were assessed in 20 samples per population. Results for overall isozyme variability with Na 2.46 alleles per locus, allelic diversity (Ne) 1.39, expected heterozygosity He 21 % and 79 % polymorphic loci were in accordance with the findings of previous studies. The respective values for AFLPs were lower, but both marker systems revealed the same level of about 3.5 % differentiation between populations. For cpSSR only the Italian sample showed within-population variation and the two haplotypes were completely differentiated from all other populations expressing a unique genetic structure with one single haplotype. Among the three marker systems AFLPs showed the best ability to differentiate between populations. While only one isozyme locus revealed significant differentiation, 41 AFLP loci showed highly significant differentiation between all populations, but 26 loci when only German populations were considered. Consequently geographic differentiation analyses focused mainly on molecular markers. Mantel tests showed significant correlations between genetic and geographic distance, but in the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean analyses, adjacent populations did not always form clusters. While chloroplast markers were able to clearly distinguish only the Hungarian population, the nuclear markers revealed clear spatial genetic structures. The correlations between geographic and genetic distance was high for AFLPs. The correlograms illustrate this effect for all populations as well as for the German populations.