Insularization and polymorphism in marginal island populations of Pinus sylvestris L.

Comparative allozyme analysis of 26 marginal island populations of Pinus sylvestris L. and 20 populations from the center of the species range has confirmed, at the species level, the Wright-Dubinin “island model” of automatic genetic processes and Mayr’s hypothesis about homozygotization of small isolated populations at range boundaries. It has been shown that the polymorphism of isolated populations sharply decreases when their area is reduced below 15–20 km2 and increases to the level observed in the center of the range when the population area exceeds 50–100 km2. A chorogenetic classification of marginal P. sylvestris populations is proposed.