Beschreibung:
<jats:p>In a pilot study presented here, the genetic diversity of <jats:italic>Dryopteris dilatata</jats:italic> in relation to the history of forest stands in the Western Bavarian Forest, Germany, was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. We selected three ancient and three recent sites, which were classified for age considering historical maps, stand age, vegetation composition and charcoal analysis. RAPD analysis of 118 individuals with ten primers resulted in 81 fragments. Mean genetic diversity, measured as percentage of polymorphic bands and Nei's gene diversity, was higher in ancient than in recent forests. Furthermore, we detected a higher total number of genotypes and more unique genotypes in ancient than in recent forests. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant genetic variation between the populations in the differently aged forests (6%), the populations within the forests (9%) and a high variation (85%) within populations. Populations from ancient forests were clearly differentiated from each other (14%), while populations from recent forests exhibited no significant differences (0%). Thus, forest history seems to have an impact both on genetic differentiation between and on diversity within populations of forest plants. In conclusion, the combination of population genetics and palaeoecology is a promising approach to analyse the impact of historical events on the genetic structure of plant populations.</jats:p>