STUDY OF POPULATION VARIABILITY IN THE PROJECT HOLM-OAKMICS
Studies of variability in Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota), the dominant tree species in the typical Mediterranean forest, is being carried out by our research group.As natural, non-domesticated plant species, with great plasticity and phenotypic variability, a key challenge prior to massive clonal propagation is the establishment of techniques for the cataloging and selection of genotypes among provenances with high survival percentage and productivity under specific environmental conditions.
Nine populations distributed throughout the Andalusia region have is being evaluated, as we can see in the following map:
The existence of a high variability and polymorphism in Quercus spp. has been concluded from data obtained by using anatomical, chemical, and enzyme activity indicators, as well as DNA marker techniques, the latter also used for introgression and phylogeographical studies.
In Spain, Holm oak populations show a prolonged isolation and complex geographic patterns of genetic variation, being native to and distributed through diverse forest areas. Some populations have survived under the extreme dry climate conditions prevailing in southern Spain, so these individuals are expected to present efficient mechanisms of adaptability to these conditions.
