Regeneration Status, Population Structure and Floristic Composition of Woody Plant Species in Sheleko Medicinal Natural Forest, South Gondar Zone, North West Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the countries in the world endowed with rich biological resources. However, due to human impacts, the forest cover in Ethiopia has been decreasing rapidly. The study was carried out with the purpose of finding out the Regeneration Status, Population Structure and Floristic composition of Woody Plant Species in Sheleko Medihanialem Natural Forest in Gondar, North West Ethiopia, from October 2019 to September 2020. The systematic vegetation sampling method was used to collect data from Fifty plots of 20 m × 20 m (400 m2) along five line transects. In addition, five, 5 m × 5 m subplots were laid within the main plot to sample seedlings and saplings. The floristic composition and population structure of woody individuals of trees and shrubs with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 2.5 cm and height ≥ 2 m were measured. DBH ≤ 2.5 cm and less than 1 m height were considered as seedlings and DBH ≥ 2.5 cm and height of 1 - 2 m as saplings. Vegetation data of density, frequency, basal area, and importance value index were computed. A total of 65 woody plant species in 54 genera and 34 plant families were recorded. Fabaceae, Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae were the dominant families in terms of species richness. Woody species densities for mature individuals were 2202.5 stems∙ha−1, seedling 2419.2 stems∙ha−1 and sapling 1737.6 stems∙ha−1. The forest was dominated by small-sized/young trees and shrubs, indicating the status of secondary growth and/or regeneration.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Marsh Grassbird (Locustella pryeri sinensis) in China

We used sequences of mitochondrial control region （807bp） in 75 samples from three breeding colonies and one wintering population to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of Marsh Grassbird （Locustella pryeri sinensis） in different regions of China. Marsh Grassbird retained a moderate amount of haplotype （0.759 ± 0.056） and nucleotide diversity （0.002）. The results of FST among 3 phy-logeographic units and ФST between breeding and wintering sites revealed little evidence of genetic distinction between different colonies. Neither UPGMA tree structure analysis nor Network picture analysis showed obvious divergence between populations at different locations. Analysis of molecular variance also showed a lack of regional subdivision within Locustella pryeri sinesis, 98.5% of source of variation within populations and only 1.5% among populations. The neutrality test showed negative Fu’s FS value, which, in combination with detection of the mismatch distribution, suggested that population expansion occurred in the evolu-tionary history of this species. This hypothesis was further supported by Tajima’s D test and Fu’s test （D = -1.80, p = 0.02; Fs = -22.11, p = 0.001）, this expansion was estimated to occur about 28,700 years ago.

Analysis of Genetic Variation and Population Structure of Starch Synthesis-related Genes in Indica Rice Cultivars

In this study, 34 molecular markers of starch synthesis-related genes were used to evaluate the genetic variation and population structure of 87 indica rice cultivars from different countries and regions. The results showed that a total of 80 alleles were amplified using 34 primer pairs, with an average of 2.5 alleles per locus. The allele number varied from 2 to 6 among various cultivars. Shannon＇s diversity index of molecular markers varied from 0.303 to 0.796, with an average of 0.539. Polymorphism information content （PIC） varied from 0.084 to 0.658, with an average of 0.295. The genetic similarity coefficients of 87 indica rice cultivars ranged from 0.265 to 0.990, indicating significant genetic differences of starch synthesis-related genes among different cultivars, but the variation frequency of alleles varied among different cultivars. Population structure analysis showed that these 87 indica rice cultivars were divided into three categories. Genetic differences were small within the same category but great among different categories. Moreover, indica rice cultivars with simple genetic components accounted for 39.1% and those with complex genetic background accounted for 60.9%. This study may not only provide theoretical basis for genetic improvement of rice starch quality, but also lay a solid foundation for subsequent association analysis of rice quality-related traits.

Age, maturation, and population structure of the Humboldt squid Dosidicus gigas off the Peruvian Exclusive Economic Zones

Age, maturation and population structure of the Humboldt squid Dosidicus gigas were studied based on random sampling of the Chinese jigging fishery off the Peruvian Exclusive Economic Zones （EEZ） during 2008-2010. Estimated ages ranged from 144 to 633 days, confirming that the squid is a short-lived species with longevity no longer than 2 years. Occurrence of mature females and hatching in each month indicated that Humboldt squid spawned year-round. Back-calculated hatching dates for the samples were from January 22^nd, 2008 to April 22nd, 2010 with a peak between January and March. Two size-based and two hatching date-based populations could be defined from mantle length （ML） at maturity and back-calculated hatching dates, respectively. Females matured at a larger size than males, and there was a significant difference in ML at maturity between the two hatching groups （P〈0.05）. The waters adjacent to 1 l^S off the Peruvian EEZ may be a potential spawning ground. This study shows the complexity of the population structure and large variability in key life history parameters in the Humboldt squid off the Peruvian EEZ, which should be considered in the assessment and management of this important resource.

Microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

Chinese mitten crab （Eriocheir sinensis） has higher commercial value as food source than any other species of Eriocheir in China. To evaluate the germplasm resources and characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of the crabs in different water systems, two stocks and two farming populations were assessed with 25 polymorphic microsallite loci available in public GenBank. Basic statistics showed that the average observed heterozygosity （Ho） amongst populations ranged from 0.5789 to 0.6824. However, a remarkable presence of inbreeding and heterozygote deficiencies were observed. To analyze population structure, pairwise FST coefficients explained only -10.3% variability from the subdivision of mitten crab populations, the remaining variability stems from the subdivision within subpopulations. Although the four populations had slight differentiation, different allelic frequencies resulted in distinct population structures. Two stocks and one farming population were clustered together to the phylogenetic branch of Yangtze crab, with an approximate membership of 95%. Whereas, another farming population was clustered singly to the phylogenetic branch of the Liaohe crab, with a membership of 97.1%. The tests for individual admixture showed that Yangtze crab had probably been contaminated with individuals from other water systems. Genetic relationships between populations also supported the conclusion that Yangtze crab and Liaohe crab had different gene pools in spite of the origins of the same species.

Population structure and distribution pattern of Taxus cuspidata in Muling region of Heilongjiang Province, China

An investigation was conducted on distribution pattern, site condition and population structure of yew Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. in Muling Forest Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, China in April, 2005. Results showed that yew is mainly distributed under the main storey of natural mixed forest of conifer and broadleaf, the soil moisture content of the yew site is high （40%-60%）, the pH value of soil is relatively lower （4.7-5.5）, and that the population structure of wild yew is not rational, belonging to the degeneration population, which is one of the reasons leading to the population decline. Although the site conditions of Muling area are suitable for the growth of wild yew, the population of wild yew shows a decline tendency, due to the fact that the middle-sized adult yew trees have been cut, young yews are often grazed by wildlife, and that the trunks of adult yew tend to be hollow.

Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese yak breeds (Bos grunniens) using microsatellite markers

Nine Chinese yak breeds （Maiwa, Tianzhu White, Qinghai Plateau, Sibu, Zhongdian, Pali, Tibetan High Mountain, Jiulong, and Xinjiang） and Gayal were analyzed by means of 16 microsatellite markers to determine the level of genetic variation within populations, genetic relationship between populations, and population structure for each breed. A total of 206 microsatellite alleles were observed. Mean F-statistics （0.056） for 9 yak breeds indicated that 94.4% of the genetic variation was observed within yak breeds and 5.6% of the genetic variation existed amongst breeds. The Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic tree was constructed based on Nei＇s standard genetic distances and two clusters were obtained. The Gayal separated from the yaks far away and formed one cluster and 9 yak breeds were grouped together. The analysis of population structure for 9 yak breeds and the Gayal showed that they resulted in four clusters; one cluster includes yaks from Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, one cluster combines Zhongdian, Maiwa, and Tianzhu White, and Jiulong and Xinjiang come into the third cluster. Pali was mainly in the first cluster （90%）, Jiulong was mainly in the second cluster （87.1%）, Zhongdian was primarily in the third cluster （83%）, and the other yak breeds were distributed in two to three clusters. The Gayal was positively left in the fourth cluster （99.3%）.

Vitality variation and population structure of a riparian forest in the lower reaches of the Tarim River,NW China

Since 2000, the Chinese government has implemented emergency water diversion measures to restore the damaged riparian forest ecosystem with dominant tree species Euphrat poplar(Populus euphratica Oliv.)at the lower reaches of the Tarim River. In the present study, comparative analysis of variations in the vitality of P. euphratica trees were made using 2005 and 2010 data to illustrate the revitalization process of riparian forest. Poplar trees within 300 m of the riverbed were positively revitalized, while the vitality of trees farther than 300 m from the river decreased. Population structure was studied to demonstrate the development of poplar community. In the first belt, the class structure for the diameter at breast height(DBH) of P. euphratica fit a logistic model, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th belt curve fittings were close to a Gaussian model; in other plots they were bimodal. Cluster analysis of the composition of the DBH class of poplar trees demonstrated that those within 16–36 cm DBH were the most abundant(58.49% of total) in study area, under 16 cm of DBH were second(31.36%), and trees >40 cm DBH were the least abundant(10.15%). More than 80% of the trees were young and medium-sized, which means that the poplar forest community in the vicinity of the lower Tarim River is at a stable developmental stage. The abundance of juvenile trees of P. euphratica in the first and second measuring belts was 12.13% in 2005 and increased to 25.52% in 2010, which means that the emergency water transfer had a positive impact on the generation of young P. euphratica trees in the vicinity of the river.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Eleutheronema rhadinum in the East and South China Seas revealed in mitochondrial COI sequences

Eleutheronema rhadinum is a potential commercial fisheries species and is subject to intense exploitation in China. Knowledge on the population structure of E. rhadinum in Chinese coastal waters, which is important for sustainable exploitation and proper resource management, is lacking. In the present study, the genetic diversity and population structure of E. rhadinum were evaluated using a 564-base pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I （COl） gene. A total of 76 specimens were collected from three localities around the East （Qidong and Zhoushan） and South China Seas （Zhuhai）. Among these individuals, nine polymorphic sites were detected and 1 l distinct haplotypes were defined. High levels ofhaplotype diversity （h=0.759i0.035） and low levels of nucleotide diversity （re=0.001 98i0.003 26） were observed in these populations, Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance （AMOVA） indicated that 96.72% of the genetic variation occurred within the populations, whereas 3.28% occurred among populations. No significant genealogical branches or clusters were recognized on the neighbor-joining tree. Intra-group variation among populations was significant （~0~t=0.032 85, P〈0.01）. These results suggest that E. rhadinum populations in the East and South China Seas have developed divergent genetic structures. Tests of neutral evolution and mismatch distribution suggest that E. rhadinum may have experienced a population expansion. The present study provides basic information for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of this species.

Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of 161 broccoli cultivars based on SNP markers

To better understand the genetic diversity and population structure of broccoli cultivars planted in China,a total of 161 representative broccoli cultivars in the past 25 years were collected and analysed based on single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers.Ten pairs of primers with good polymorphism and high resolution were screened from 315 pairs of SNP primers by 3 broccoli accessions(inbred lines)with different phenotypes and maturity.The 10 pairs of SNP primers were selected,producing 78 alleles.The diversity analysis indicated that the polymorphism information content(PIC)of SNP primer ranged from 0.64 to 0.90.The observed number of alleles(Na)was 2.00,the effective number of alleles(Ne)was 1.11–2.00,the Nei’s gene diversity(H)was 0.10–0.50,and Shannon information index(I)was 0.20–0.70 using PopGene32 software.The clustering results showed that the 161 broccoli cultivars could be divided into 4 major subgroups(A,B,C and D),foreign cultivars were all assigned to subgroup A,and domestic cultivars were assigned to 3 subgroups of B,C,and D.This study indicated that some domestic cultivars and foreign cultivars were similar in genetic background,but most domestic cultivars were still different from the Japanese cultivars.When K=2,the population structure result presented that 161 broccoli cultivars could be divided into 1 simple group(2 groups)and 1 mixed group.When Q≥0.6,143(88.82%)broccoli cultivars belonged to the simple groups.In simple groups 68(42.24%)broccoli cultivars of group 1 were derived from Japan,the United States,Switzerland,the Netherlands,China-Taiwan,and China-Mainland;75(46.58%)broccoli cultivars belonged to group 2;when Q<0.6,18(11.18%)broccoli cultivars belonged to the mixed groups.This study is helpful to understand the diversity and resolution of broccoli cultivars from worldwide,which is beneficial to plant breeding and materials innovation.And meanwhile,this result is also used for construction of broccoli fingerprint serving for cultivar identification.

Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Maize Landraces from the South Maize Region of China

Understanding genetic diversity and population structure of landraces is important in utilization of these germplasm in breeding programs. In the present study, a total of 143 core maize landraces from the South Maize Region （SR） of China, which can represent the general profile of the genetic diversity in the landraces germplasm of SR, were genotyped by 54 DNA microsatellite markers. Totally, 517 alleles （ranging from 4 to 22） were detected among these landraces, with an average of 9.57 alleles per locus. The total gene diversity of these core landraces was 0.61, suggesting a rather higher level of genetic diversity. Analysis of population structure based on Bayesian method obtained the samilar result as the phylogeny neighbor-joining （N J） method. The results indicated that the whole set of 143 core landraces could be clustered into two distinct groups. All landraces from Guangdong, Hainan, and 15 landraces from Jiangxi were clustered into group 1, while those from the other regions of SR formed the group 2. The results from the analysis of genetic diversity showed that both of groups possessed a similar gene diversity, but group 1 possessed relatively lower mean alleles per locus （6.63） and distinct alleles （91） than group 2 （7.94 and 110, respectively）. The relatively high richness of total alleles and distinct alleles preserved in the core landraces from SR suggested that all these germplasm could be useful resources in germplasm enhancement and maize breeding in China.

Genetic diversity and population structure of 288 potato(Solanum tuberosum L.) germplasms revealed by SSR and AFLP markers

Potato （Solanum tuberosum L.） is an important staple food and economic crop in many countries. China has led world potato production in recent years. To understand the genetic diversity of potato germplasms and to enrich the current gene pool for potato improvement, we made a global collection consisted of 288 potato germplasms from eight countries and the International Potato Center （CIP）. Using SSR and AFLP techniques, we evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of these 288 potato accessions. A total of 190 alleles on 20 SSR loci were detected and all of the SSR alleles were polymorphic among these potato germplasms with an average of 9.5 alleles per SSR locus ranging from 2 to 23. The effective number of alleles per locus （Ne＊）, Nei＇s genetic diversity （H＊）, and Shannon＇s information index （I＊） was from （0.1709＋0.3698） to （1.6166＋0.3414）, （0.076＋0.1388） to （0.3812＋0.1886）, and （0.1324＋0.1970） to （0.5347＋0.1440）, respec- tively, and the mean polymorphic information content （PIC） value was 0.7312. A total of 988 AFLP alleles were detected by 10 AFLP primer combinations with 983 polymorphic alleles, and 99.49% alleles was polymorphic with an average of 98.3 polymorphic alleles per primer combination ranging from 91 to 116. The values of Ne＊, H＊ and/＊ were from （1.5162＋0.311 ） to （1.6423＋0.3278）, （0.3114＋0.145） to （0.3675＋0.1121）, and （0.4761＋0.1792） to （0.547＋0.1322）, respectively, and the average PIC value was 0.9871. Bayesian analysis discriminated the accessions into seven subgroup and an admix group. The majority of accessions from CIP and China were assigned into SG1, SG5, SG6, SG7 and admix group. Accessions in SG3 were mainly from CIP and two small groups SG2 and SG4 were mainly from northeastern China. In general, the results obtained from Bayesian statistical analysis, cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis consistently revealed the lack of geographical differentiation among country-wide collections, indicating germplasm introduction was common for the countries out of potato origin center. The poiymorphic markers and the differentiate genetic lineages found in this study provide useful information for potato improvement and conservation programs.

Population structure and spatial pattern analysis of Quercus aquifolioides on Sejila Mountain,Tibet,China

Understanding population structure provides basic ecological data related to species and ecosystems.Our objective was to understand the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of Quercus aquifolioides populations.Using a 1 ha permanent sample plot data for Q.aquifolioides on Sejila Mountain,Tibet Autonomous Region(Tibet),China,we analyzed the population structure of Q.aquifolioides by combining data for diameter class,static life table and survival curve.Simultaneously,the spatial distribution of Q.aquifolioides was studied using Ripley’s L Function in point pattern analysis.The results showed:(1) Individuals in Q.aquifolioides populations were mainly aggregated in the youngest age classes,that accounted for94.3% of the individuals; the older age classes had much smaller populations.Although the youngest age classes(ClassesⅠ and Ⅱ) had fewer individuals than Class Ⅲ,the total number of individuals in classes Ⅰ and Ⅱ was also greater than in classes Ⅳ to Ⅸ.In terms of tree height,fewsaplings,more medium-sized saplings and few large-sized trees were found.The diameter class structure of Q.aquifolioides populations formed an atypical ‘pyramid’type; the population was expanding,but growth was limited,tending toward a stable population.(2) Mortality of Q.aquifolioides increased continuously with age; life expectancy decreased over time,and the survivorship curve was close to a Deevey I curve.(3) The spatial distribution pattern of Q.aquifolioides varied widely across different developmental stages.Saplings and medium-sized tree showed aggregated distributions at the scales of 0–33 m and 0–29 m,respectively.The aggregation intensities of saplings and medium-sized trees at small scales were significantly stronger than that of large-sized trees.However,large-sized trees showed a random distribution at most scales.(4) No correlation was observed among saplings,medium-and large-sized trees at small scales,while a significant and negative association was observed as the scale increased.Strong competition was found among saplings,medium-and large-sized trees,while no significant association was observed between medium-and largesized trees at all scales.Biotic interactions and local ecological characteristics influenced the spatial distribution pattern of Q.aquifolioides populations most strongly.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Commelina communis in China based on simple sequence repeat markers

Commelina communis（Asiatic dayflower） is a troublesome weed in China. Genetic variation of 46 C. communis populations from different collection sites in our country was investigated using 12 simple sequence repeat（SSR） primer pairs. Polymorphism analysis results showed high level of genetic diversity among these populations. The alleles（bands） were amplified by these primer pairs. The polymorphic proportion was 18.25%, and the average polymorphism information content was 0.1330. The highest effective number of alleles was 1.9915 at locus YP33, and the lowest value was 1.0000 at both loci YP25 and YP31. C. communis showed major average observed heterozygosity value（0.8655） than that of average expected heterozygosity（0.1330）. C. communis populations were divided into three groups on the basis of unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis（Dice genetic similarity coefficient=0.772） and genetic structure analysis（K=3）, and a principal coordinate analysis. The results of this study further illustrated that C. communis populations contained abundant genetic information, and the 12 SSR markers could detect the microsatellite loci of C. communis genomic DNA. These results might indicate that C. communis maintains high genetic diversity among different populations.

Population structure analysis and determination of neurotoxin content in a set of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) accessions of Bangladesh origin

Grass pea(Lathyrus sativus L.) is a crop that is considered one of the more resilient to climate change. With protein-rich seeds and leaves, it has strong potential as human food as well as animal feed and fodder. However, genetic improvement in this crop remains stagnant owing to the poor characterization of its genetic resources. In this study, we characterized 118 accessions of grass pea with 18 EST-SSR markers. A total of 118 accessions, 101 of L. sativus(100 cultivated accessions from Bangladesh and one wild accession) and 17 wild accessions of other Lathyrus species, were used. A total of 67 alleles were detected, with an average of 3.72 alleles per locus and average polymorphism information content of 0.52. A dissimilarity matrix was formed and hierarchical cluster analysis performed using the UPGMA method grouped genotypes into four main clusters. Cluster analysis based on the genetic dissimilarity revealed a clear grouping of the 100 cultivated and 18 wild accessions into four main groups. Group I consisted of 20 accessions with high β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid(β-ODAP) concentration. Of these 20 accessions, 17 were wild accessions. Only one wild accession(L. cicera) was clustered in group II, which contained 35 accessions. Most of the group II accessions contained low β-ODAP. Group III was represented by 34 accessions, many of them with high β-ODAP. Group IV consisted of 29 accessions, a few of which had very high β-ODAP concentrations. Analysis of molecular variance of the microsatellite data showed significantly higher values of molecular variance between(83%) than within(17%) populations. These characterized accessions will be useful in grass pea breeding programs.

Forest characteristics,population structure and growth trends of threatened relict Pseudotsuga forrestii in China

Pseudotsuga forrestii is a relict evergreen coniferous tree species in Pinaceae endemic to China.P.forrestii tree numbers have greatly decreased due to deforestation,over-utilization and habitat degradation.Here we clarify P.forrestii community types,structure,species diversity,seedling recruitments and growth trends.We identified four P.forrestii community types:(1)Pseudotsuga forrestii-Quercus guyavifolia-Acer davidii evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest;(2)Pseudotsuga forrestii-Pinus yunnanensis-Quercus guyavifolia evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest;(3)Pseudotsuga forrestii evergreen coniferous forest;(4)Pseudotsuga forrestii-Abies georgei var.smithii evergreen coniferous forest.P.forrestii forests are characterized by both warm temperate and temperate affinities.Simpson diversity,Pielou evenness,Shannon-Wiener diversity indices ranged from 0.75 to 0.76,0.74-0.81,and 1.62-1.93,respectively,with no significant differences among the four forest types.The forest stratification was multilayered.The canopy layer was generally 10-25 m tall,with the emergent layer reached 25-42 m.DBH and age structures of P.forrestii showed multimodal distributions.Its maximum age P.forrestii was 570 years with a DBH of 143 cm.The growth of annual ring width of P.forrestii was slow,and generally decreased with age,whereas the basal area at the breast height increased with age.Established seedlings/saplings were mainly found in unstable micro-habitats.Regeneration of P.forrestii depends on moderate natural disturbances.Finally,we provide recommendations for P.forrestii conservation.

Population structure and regeneration patterns of tree species in climate-sensitive subalpine forests of Indian western Himalaya

The population structure of tree species has been explored in order to elucidate regeneration potential of the subalpine forests of Indian western Himalaya. For this study, the subalpine forest area was divided into three strata, i.e., lower altitude （〈3000 m）; mid-altitude （3000-3200 m）; and high altitude （〉3200m）. Considering the major compositional attributes, an increase in altitude came with a significant decline in tree density and the total basal area for all the sites. However, no such clear trends were observed for recruits （i.e., seedlings and saplings）. Seedling density did not exhibit uniform patterns for sites and altitude strata. In general, overall seedling density was greater at the Pindari site compared to the Lata and Tungnath sites. By comparison, significant variation in seedling density along the altitude strata was recorded for the Tungnath and Pindari sites only. Likewise, sapling density patterns varied across the sites and altitude strata, and significant variation in sapling density along the altitude strata was recorded only for the Lata site. At the Pin- daft site, the continuous increase in sapling density along with increasing altitude was revealing. The Pindari forests of exhibited expanding population structure. In contrast, greater accumulation of individuals in the sapling class and sharp decline toward both higher tree classes and lower seedling classes was generally apparent for the Lata and Tungnath sites. This indicates that the replacement in tree size classes from sapling stage is not proportional and the population may decline in the long-term. Considerable variation in patterns of forest and dominant species popula- tion structure were evident across altitude strata. But in all cases irrespective of sites, we found growth at the high-altitude stratum, in the form of entire forests or dominant species. This trend deserves further investigation to explore its relevance under changing climate scenarios.

Evaluation of Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Origin of Northeast Asia Weedy Rice Based on Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Weedy rice exerts a severe impact on rice production by competing for sunlight, water and nutrients. This study assayed the population structure, genetic diversity and origin of Northeast Asia weedy rice by using 48 simple sequence repeat markers. The results showed that weedy rice in Northeast Asia had a high genetic diversity, with Shannon＇s diversity index （I） of 0.748 and the heterozygosity （He） of 0.434. In each regional population, I value varied widely. The widest range of I （0.228-0.489） was observed in the weedy rice of Eastern China, which was larger than that of Northeast China and Korea （0.168-0.270）. The F-statistics of regional populations （Fis, Fit and Fst） also showed higher values in the weedy rice of Eastern China than those of Northeast China and Korea All weedy rice accessions were grouped into two clusters in the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis dendrogram, namely Eastern China branch and Northeastern China plus Korea branch. There was significant differentiation in genetic characteristics in weedy rice of northeastern and eastern Asia, especially in Eastern China.

Genetic diversity and population structure of a Sichuan sika deer(Cervus sichuanicus) population in Tiebu Nature Reserve based on microsatellite variation

Cervus sichuanicus is a species of sika deer （Cervus nippon Group）. To date, research has mainly focused on quantity surveying and behavior studies, with genetic information on this species currently deficient. To provide scientific evidence to assist in the protection of this species, we collected Sichuan sika deer fecal samples from the Sichuan Tiebu Nature Reserve （TNR） and extracted DNA from those samples. Microsatellite loci of bovine were used for PCR amplification. After GeneScan, the genotype data were used to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure of the Sichuan sika deer in TNR. Results showed that the average expected heterozygosity of the Sichuan sika deer population in TNR was 0.562, equivalent to the average expected heterozygosity of endangered animals, such as Procapra przewalsldi. Furthermore, 8 of 9 microsatellite loci significantly deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and two groups existed within the Sichuan sika deer TNR population. This genetic structure may be caused by a group of Manchurian sika deer （Cervus hortulorum） released in TNR.

Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in sweetpotato using SSR markers

Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas(L.) Lam., is an important food crop worldwide. Large scale evaluation of sweetpotato germplasm for genetic diversity is necessary to determine the genetic relationships between them and effectively use them in the genetic improvement. In this study, the genetic diversity of 617 sweetpotato accessions, including 376landraces and 162 bred varieties from China and 79 introduced varieties from 11 other countries, was assessed using 30 simple sequence repeat(SSR) primer pairs with high polymorphism. Based on the population structure analysis,these sweetpotato accessions were divided into three groups, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3, which included 228, 136and 253 accessions, respectively. Consistent results were obtained by phylogenic analysis and principal coordinate analysis(PCoA). Of the three groups, Group 2 showed the highest level of genetic diversity and its accessions were mainly distributed in low-latitude regions. The accessions from South China exhibited the highest level of genetic diversity, which supports the hypothesis that Fujian and Guangdong were the first regions where sweetpotato was introduced to China. Analysis of molecular variance(AMOVA) indicated significant genetic differentiations between the different groups, but low levels of genetic differentiation existed between the different origins and accession types.These results provide valuable information for the better utilization of these accessions in sweetpotato breeding.