Evaluation of genetic variability of some morpho-physiological traits in brant's oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.)

Quantitative genetic diversity is a fundamental component of the interaction between natural populations and their environments, therefore, a better understanding of the nature of the interactions may lead us to more success in breeding programs of different species. Seeds of 60 mother trees of brant’s oak were collected from different latitude and altitude of Zagros forests and sown in a research field of Yasuj, located on the south of Zagross. After two years, several morpho-physiological traits such as efficiency of photosystem II, leaf area and weight, specific leaf area and relative water content of seedlings were measured. Different genetic parameters including heritability, genetic and phenotypic coefficient variation of overall and each provenance were separately calculated. Results showed that the effect of provenances and mother trees were significant for some traits such as efficiency of photosystem II, area and weight of leaf and relative water content. Also these traits had high heritability ranged from 0.8 to 1, whereas in case of specific leaf area, the amount of heritability was zero. The efficiency of photosystem II had also highest amount of genetic and phenotypic coefficient variation (75.8% and 0.8). The amount of heritability was different in each provenance for all measured traits except for relative water content. It was not appropriate to use a single trait in early selection for different provenances in Zagros forests. However, measurement of several morpho-physiological traits such as leaf area, leaf dry and wet weight can help us to select the progenies of the species with higher growth and survival rates in Zagros region.