Population Study Reveals Genetic Variation and Introgression of Four Deciduous Oaks at the Junction between Taihang Mountain and Yanshan Mountain

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are considered model plants for studying plant evolution and natural gene introgression. Beijing area is at the junction between Taihang Mountain Yanshan Mountain, it an overlapping distribution of several deciduous oaks native to China. Interspecific hybridization often occurs in sympatric sibling species, resulting blurred interspecific boundaries hindering development breeding. To have better improvement protection these oaks, urgently necessary evaluate genetic diversity population structure oak species. In this study, we collected eleven populations four species (Q. variabilis, Q. mongolica, dentata aliena) area. By using polymorphic SSR markers, analyzed variation 400 individuals, investigated structure, found introgression events. variabilis had a clearer background as compared other three mongolica more frequent with aliena. Our data reveal area, laying foundation conducting germplasm nursery clear further improvement.