Allele Frequencies and Loci distribution
To characterise adaptation, minor allele frequency (MAF) of adaptive
loci and non-adaptive loci was measured. Mean MAF for adaptive loci was
0.439 and mean MAF for non-adaptive loci was 0.117. In figure 3 A and B
we can see a considerable shift in MAF between adaptive and non-adaptive
loci indicating that environmental is characterised by high minor allele
frequency. The same cannot be concluded from phenotypic however, because
only nine adaptive loci were discovered from the phenotypic GAPIT
analysis. However, the mean MAF for phenotypic adaptive loci was 0.403.
Loci with either a negative or positive correlation with height were
traced through the population and mean number of loci per sample per
provenance were represented geographically (Fig.4). Northern populations
contained loci with negative correlations with height mainly caused by
high snow cover and low solar radiation. More negative loci were
distributed in Alaska than further south. Loci with positive
correlations towards height were distributed in the southern ranges of
Sitka spruce.