Forest Genetics Flashcards
What defines genome size?
C Value, measure of DNA per haploid nucleus
What is a genome
Sum of all genes of an organism
What are some c values of native trees
Pinacea: 24
Fd: 38
Sequoia: 12
Does genome size indicate evolutionary complexity?
No. Conifers tend to have a higher genome than most organisms, but does not make them more complex.
Homologous chromosomes and alleles
Homologous: chromosomes that match eachother in length
Allele: gene that is slightly different than sister gene
What is the term for chromosomes with alleles in the same location?
What does this imply?
Heterozygous, a good measure of genetic diversity. The greater the number of alleles, the greater the genetic diversity.
What is Gst
Genetic statistic: Statistically generated measure of genetic variation in a species as a function of heterozygosity.
Most conifers are monoecious. What’s that mean?
Both male and female flower produced on tree.
Male flowers produce pollen spores (gametes), female flowers form cone (gametes).
What is forest genetics?
The study of heredity and genetic variation in forest crop trees
Genotype vs phenotype
Genotype refers to the organisms’ genetic make-up influenced by …. Genus, Species, Provenance, Stand, Tree, and, Within the tree
The Phenotype refers to the genetic makeup under the influence of
the organism’s environment such as climate, soils, elevation, slope, treatments, density
Polygenic
Refers to a group of genes that influence a specific function or trait. Harder to detect than single genes that influence traits.
How much of pinacea family genes are expressed in their appearances?
Less than 0.1%. The rest all deal with biological processes or are repetitive genes that are unique to the species. These serve as markers for humans to identify the organisms family.
Why are single gene traits that have negative effects problematic?
Genes can mutate for a variety of reasons, changing gene function in some cases
How does tree breeding work?
The complete genetic code of each breeding organism is passed onto the organism through breeding. Tree breeding can be controlled by choosing parents to produce offspring with desired traits.
What are some advantages of tree breeding ?
Increased volume and quality, faster growth.
Increased genetic diversity
Maximize economic benefits
Resistance to disease
