Jaroslaw Burczyk

Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz · Department of Genetics

Background and AimsSexual reproduction is one of the most important moments in a life cycle, determining the genetic composition of individual offspring. Controlled pollination experiments often show high variation in the mating system at the individual level, suggesting a persistence of individual variation in natural populations. Individual varia...

The estimates of contemporary gene flow assessed based on naturally established seedlings provide information much needed for understanding the abilities of forest tree populations to persist under global changes through migration and/or adaptation facilitated by gene exchange among populations. Here, we investigated pollen- and seed-mediated gene...

Estimating seed and pollen gene flow in plants on the basis of samples of naturally regenerated seedlings can provide much needed information about "realized gene flow," but seems to be one of the greatest challenges in plant population biology. Traditional parentage methods, because of their inability to discriminate between male and female parent...

The efficient conversion of tissues into reproductive success is a crucial aspect affecting the evolution of life histories. Masting, the interannually variable and synchronous seed production in perennial plants, is a strategy that can enhance reproductive efficiency by mitigating seed predation and pollen limitation. However, evaluating benefits...

The increase in introduced insect pests and pathogens due to anthropogenic environmental changes has become a major concern for tree species worldwide. Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) is one of such species facing a significant threat from the invasive fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Some studies have indicated that the susceptibility o...

Background Knowledge of genetic structure and the factors that shape it has an impact on forest management practices. European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) has declined dramatically throughout its range as a result of a disease caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Despite the need for conservation and restoration of the species, genetic dat...

Masting (synchronous and interannually variable seed production) is frequently called a reproductive strategy; yet it is unclear whether the reproductive behaviour of individuals has a heritable component. To address this, we used 22 years of annual fruit production data from 110 Sorbus aucuparia L. trees to examine the contributions of genetic fac...

Background Local adaptation is a key evolutionary process that enhances the growth of plants in their native habitat compared to non-native habitats, resulting in patterns of adaptive genetic variation across the entire geographic range of the species. The study of population adaptation to local environments and predicting their response to future...

Key message Naturally regenerating populations of common beech, pedunculate, and sessile oaks develop strong spatial genetic structures at adult and seedling stages. Significant genetic relationship occurs between individuals growing up to 60 m apart. This indicates the minimum distance separating trees from which seeds used for reforestation shoul...

Opracowanie zbiorowe zestawia podstawową wiedzę na temat plantacji nasiennych. Mamy nadzieję, że przyczyni się do pełniejszego naświetlenia tematyki związanej z prowadzeniem plantacji nasiennych w warunkach polskich, a tym samym – do prowadzenia ich przez praktyków leśników w taki sposób, aby zoptymalizować wykorzystanie wielkiego potencjału tej ba...

Unlabelled: Genetic diversity influences the evolutionary potential of forest trees under changing environmental conditions, thus indirectly the ecosystem services that forests provide. European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a dominant European forest tree species that increasingly suffers from climate change-related die-back. Here, we conducted a...

The European Beech is the dominant climax tree in most regions of Central Europe and valued for its ecological versatility and hardwood timber. Even though a draft genome has been published recently, higher resolution is required for studying aspects of genome architecture and recombination. Here, we present a chromosome-level assembly of the more...

Several genera formerly contained within the genus Sorbus L. sensu lato have been proposed as separate taxa, including Aria, Chamaemespilus and Torminalis. However, molecular evidence for such distinctions are rather scarce. We assembled the complete chloroplast genome of Sorbus aucuparia, another representative of Sorbus s.s., and performed detail...

Growing amounts of genomic data and more efficient assembly tools advance organelle genomics at an unprecedented scale. Genomic resources are increasingly used for phylogenetic analyses of many plant species, but are less frequently used to investigate within-species variability and phylogeography. In this study, we investigated genetic diversity o...

Background Diversity among phenology-related genes is predicted to be a contributing factor in local adaptations seen in widely distributed plant species that grow in climatically variable geographic areas, such as forest trees. European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) is widespread, and is one of the most important broadleaved tree species in Europe;...

Similar to chloroplast loci, mitochondrial markers are frequently used for genotyping, phylogenetic studies, and population genetics, as they are easily amplified due to their multiple copies per cell. In a recent study, it was revealed that the chloroplast offers little variation for this purpose in central European populations of beech. Thus, it...

Background The European Beech is the dominant climax tree in most regions of Central Europe and valued for its ecological versatility and hardwood timber. Even though a draft genome has been published recently, higher resolution is required for studying aspects of genome architecture and recombination. Results Here we present a chromosome-level as...

Next-generation sequencing of reduced representation genomic libraries (RRL) is capable of providing large numbers of genetic markers for population genetic studies at relatively low costs. However, one major concern of these types of markers is the precision of genotyping, which is related to the common problem of missing data, which appears to be...

Chloroplasts are difficult to assemble because of the presence of large inverted repeats. At the same time, correct assemblies are important, as chloroplast loci are frequently used for biogeography and population genetics studies. In an attempt to elucidate the orientation of the single-copy regions and to find suitable loci for chloroplast single...

Monitoring patterns of mating and pollen dispersal in forest tree populations subjected to nature conservation is essential to understanding the dynamics of their reproductive processes and might be helpful in making management decisions aimed at conserving genetic diversity and integrity over the long term. However, little is known about effective...

Pedunculate and sessile oaks (Quercus robur L.; Q. petraea [Matt] Liebl.) often coexist in mixed forest stands. However, species-specific investigations and forest management actions in such populations require reliable methods of identification of the species status of individuals. We investigated genetic diversity and species differentiation of a...

Reduced representation genomic libraries (RRLs) are increasingly used to answer diverse questions in evolutionary biology, which remained unresolved otherwise. In the case of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), former applications of nuclear and chloroplast genetic markers indicated that most of the beech populations of Central, Eastern, and North...

The Polish larch (Larix decidua subsp. polonica (Racib. Domin), a subspecies of European larch, is one of the most valuable forest-forming trees in Poland. It was first discovered on the Chełmowa Mountain where Natural Reserve has been established to protect this subspecies. Currently, this unique population is at risk of extinction. Nonetheless, t...

Background The European Beech is arguably the most important climax broad-leaved tree species in Central Europe, widely planted for its valuable wood. Here we report the 542 Mb draft genome sequence of an up to 300-year-old individual (Bhaga) from an undisturbed stand in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park in central Germany. Findings Using a hyb...

The process of adaptation in forest trees might be facilitated if seeds resulting from crossings among different provenances are used for plantation establishment. This can be accomplished if seeds from existing common-garden trials become available. This paper aims to characterize genetic diversity of a provenance/family common-garden trial of Que...

Sorbus torminalis is widely distributed tree species across Europe which shows interesting features from the genetic point of view and has high ecological values. Based on the whole genomic DNA we have assembled the complete 160,390 bp circular chloroplast genome of the species. The nucleotide share: 31.35% A, 18.61% C, 17.87% G, 32.12% T and 36.48...

Genetic diversity is often considered a major determinant of long term population persistence and its potential to adapt to variable environmental conditions. The ability of populations to maintain their genetic diversity across generations seems to be a major prerequisite for their sustainability, which is particularly important for keystone fores...

Knowing the level of genetic diversity and structure in marginal plant populations is essential for managing their genetic resources. This is particularly important for rare scattered tree species, such as Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz. We investigated the genetic diversity and its spatial distribution in peripheral populations of S. torminalis. As...

Distribution of genetic diversity among and within plant populations may depend on the mating system and the mechanisms underlying the efficiency of pollen and seed dispersal. In self-incompatible species, negative frequency-dependent selection acting on the self-incompatibility locus is expected to decrease intensity of spatial genetic structure (...

Assessing the distribution of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotype variation is useful for studying the phylogeography of angiosperms. In the last two decades the cpDNA phylogeography of white oaks in Europe has been extensively studied , mostly based on the PCR-RFLP technique. However, PCR-RFLPs have low mutation rates and are primarily useful for re...

Restriction site associated DNA-sequencing (RADseq; Baird et al. 2008) and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS; Elshire et al. 2011) are methods, which are increasingly used in population genomics. Both of them are useful in discovery and genotyping of SNP polymorphisms, particularly in species or populations exhibiting low to moderate levels of genome-w...

Divergence in genetic as well as phenotypic structures can be expected in species with disjunctive geographic ranges and restricted gene flow among isolated populations. Dwarf mountain pine has such a disjunctive geographic range in the mountains of Central Europe. We hypothesised that populations of Pinus mugo from the Giant Mts. differ from Alpin...

Species confined to temporally stable habitats are usually susceptible to habitat fragmentation, as living in long-lasting habitats is predicted to constrain evolution of dispersal ability. In Europe, saproxylic invertebrates associated with tree hollows are currently threatened due to the severe fragmentation of their habitat, but data on the popu...

Gene fl ow is a process of transferring and exchanging genetic material among groups of organisms and is an important evolutionary factor that greatly affects genetic variation and differentiation in trees. Gene fl ow within and among populations of forest trees plays an important role in forest tree improvement, conservation genetics, and containm...

Peripheral populations may be crucial for understanding processes underlying adaptive genetic variation. Their evolution and ecology are driven by various genetic and demographic processes, such as selection, gene flow and bottleneck. Peripheral populations often experience a reduction in density resulting in the Allee effect. The presence of inter...

In this study, we characterize and compare the genetic structure of aboveground and belowground populations of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria amethystina in an unmanaged mixed beech forest. Fruiting bodies and mycorrhizas of L. amethystina were mapped and collected in four plots in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Poland). A total of 563 fruiting...

The genetic diversity within and among twelve populations (379 individuals) ofPinus mugofrom the Giant Mts., Carpathians andAlps was analyzedusing ten chloroplast microsatellite markers. A stepwise mutation model (SMM) for microsatellite loci was used in order to estimate divergence between populations andprovenances from three mountain ranges. Hig...

This article is a summary report of the international conference "Forest ecosystem genomics and adaptation" organized by the EVOLTREE Network of Excellence in San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Madrid), Spain, from 9 to 11 June 2010. Main achievements and results of the network are presented for the eight thematic sessions and a stakeholder session. The c...

This article is a summary report of the international conference "Forest ecosystem genomics and adaptation" organized by the EVOLTREE Network of Excellence in San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Madrid), Spain, from 9 to 11 June 2010. Main achievements and results of the network are presented for the eight thematic sessions and a stakeholder session. The c...

Habitat fragmentation can have severe genetic consequences for trees, such as increased inbreeding and decreased effective population size. In effect, local populations suffer from reduction of genetic variation, and thus loss of adaptive capacity, which consequently increases their risk of extinction. In Europe, Taxus baccata is among a number of...

The genetic diversity of the north and western European subspecies of honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera (the "dark bee") is severely endangered due to hybridization with introduced bees of evolutionary branch C. Genetic variability of native honey bees in the north-eastern part of Poland, including a special isolated breeding zone in the Augustow...

NM+ is computer software designed for making inferences on plant gene dispersal and mating patterns by modelling parentage probabilities of offspring based on the spatially explicit neighbourhood model. NM+ requires a sample of mapped and genotyped candidate parents and offspring; however, offspring may optionally be assigned to single maternal par...

In plants, the magnitude of seed and pollen dispersal plays a pivotal role in shaping genetic structure of populations. Restricted dispersal of genes can stimulate the increase of inbreeding as well as spatial clustering of relatives. These phenomena are explained by the theory of isolation-by-distance. Because of its biology, European beech (Fagus...

The genetic variation within and between 13 populations (385 individuals) of Pinus uncinata was analyzed with ten chloroplast microsatellite markers. Both the infinite allele mutation and stepwise mutation model (SMM) have been applied to the analysis of the genetic structure and the geographical distribution of haplotypic variation. High level of...

Pollen-mediated gene flow was measured in two populations of black cottonwood using direct (paternity analysis) and indirect (correlated paternity) methods. The Marchel site was an area with an approximate radius of 250 m in a large continuous stand growing in a mesic habitat in western Oregon. In contrast, the Vinson site was an area with a radius...

When considering neutral nuclear markers, genetic differentiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) populations is known to be low. The homogeneity arises particularly as an effect of common ancestry in a recent evolutionary history as well as an extensive gene flow, especially through pollen. However, within populations several other forces may s...

Most studies on selection in plants estimate female fitness components and neglect male mating success, although the latter might also be fundamental to understand adaptive evolution. Information from molecular genetic markers can be used to assess determinants of male mating success through parentage analyses. We estimated paternal selection gradi...

Polyploids, organisms that have multiple sets of chromosomes, are common in certain plant and animal taxa. However, there are only a few reports of intraspecific ploidy variation within the genus Quercus. The aim of the study was to investigate the suspected ploidy level of two oaks that have unusual microsatellite banding patterns. Polyploidy was...

Understanding population-scale processes that affect allele frequency changes across generations is a long-standing interest in genetic, ecological and evolutionary research. In particular, individual differences in female reproductive success and the spatial scale of gene flow considerably affect evolutionary change and patterns of local selection...

Eight isozyme gene loci were used to compare genetic structure and variation of parental and offspring populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) in the seed tree stand located in the Woziwoda Forest District of the Tuchola Forest. Although, the estimated parameters indicate small reduction of heterozygosity in offspring populations, the stand...

Understanding population-scale processes that affect allele frequency changes across generations is a long-standing interest in genetic, ecological and evolutionary research. In particular, individual differences in female reproductive success and the spatial scale of gene flow considerably affect evolutionary change and patterns of local selection...

Peat-bog pine Pinus uliginosa Neumann has become extinct or rare in many parts of Europe. We have investigated the levels of genetic variation and inbreeding in seeds collected from a highly endangered reserve of this species in Poland, using allozymes as genetic markers. Generally, a high level of genetic variation was observed. The mean expected...

Assessment of contemporary pollen-mediated gene flow in plants is important for various aspects of plant population biology, genetic conservation and breeding. Here, through simulations we compare the two alternative approaches for measuring pollen-mediated gene flow: (i) the NEIGHBORHOOD model--a representative of parentage analyses, and (ii) the...

Simple sequence repeats have become the tool of choice in a wide range of studies of forest trees. Despite frequent use of multicolor fluorescent labeling DNA fragment analyzers, there are few procedures that reduce time and cost of the analyses by PCR multiplexing. Here we present an example of 2 multiplexes of 7 unlinked nuclear microsatellite lo...

Genetic variation at microsatellite markers was used to quantify genetic structure and mating behavior in a severely fragmented population of the wind-pollinated, wind-dispersed temperate tree Fraxinus excelsior in a deforested catchment in Scotland. Remnants maintain high levels of genetic diversity, comparable with those reported for continuous p...

Abstract Genetic variation at microsatellite markers was used to quantify genetic structure and mating behavior in a severely fragmented population of the wind-pollinated, wind-dispersed temperate tree Fraxinus excelsior in a deforested catchment in Scotland. Remnants maintain high levels of genetic diversity, comparable with those reported for con...