Selection of nuclear microsatellite loci for species identification of Daurian larch (Gmelin) and Siberian larch, as well as comparison of their genetic profiles for solving forestry problems

Abstract

Preservation and study of forest plant species diversity is one of the fundamental challenges of modern botany, genetics, and dendrology. Genetic structure determines variability and controls adaptation mechanisms, let every population adapt to the environmental conditions. The most topical issue is genetic study of valuable forest species to ensure their integrity, specific identification and control over a wood origin. One of such environmentally and economically important coniferous species in our country is larch ( Larix ). Currently, there is a problem to use azonal larch species for reforestation in Russia, particularly in the Russian Far East. In this regard, selection of genetic markers that let us detect differences between Dahurian larch and Siberian larch and their subspecies is a crucial and relevant task.