DNA analysis of Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut) in Britain and Ireland: Elucidating European origins and genepool diversity

by Rob Jarman , Claudia Mattioni , Karen Russell , Frank M. Chambers , Debbie Bartlett , M. Angela Martin , Marcello Cherubini , Fiorella Villani , Julia Webb

Future Trees Trust contributed towards the funding of this paper which aims to describe the genetic diversity of C. sativa trees in Britain and Ireland, to discover any geographical and typological associations and, by comparison with C. sativa genotypes from sites in continental Europe, indicate potential ancestral sources. Genetic information can locate close kinships and clonal groups of plants; and help to determine the antiquity and management history of individual trees and coppice stools. The combined information on genetic diversity, relatedness and antiquity can help elucidate whence C. sativa arrived in the British Isles, and possibly when.

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Sweet Chestnut

Posted on the 6th October 2019 at 12:32pm.