**1. Introduction**

230 Genetic Diversity in Plants

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The success of any sustainable reforestation program, among other things, hinges on a continuous supply of high quality seeds for the production of the desired quantity of seedlings in nurseries or for successful stand establishment by direct sowing out in the field. What is seed quality then? Seed quality is defined as "a measure of characters or attributes that will determine the performance of seeds when sown or stored" (Hampton 2002). It is a multiple concept encompassing the physical, physiological, genetic, pathological and entomological attributes that affect seed lot performance (Basu, 1995).

Several factors affect the production of high quality seeds, such as insect infestation (El Atta 1993, Dajoz 2000, Bates et al. 2000, 2001), pollination failure and post-zygotic degeneration (Owens et al. 1990, El-Kassaby et al. 1993), infection by seed borne pathogens (Pritam and Singh 1997), environmental conditions during seed development (Gutterman 2000) as well as the genetic constitution (Bazzaz et al. 2000).

Genetic diversity is the richness of the hereditary information in the gene pole of one species. High level of inter-species genetic diversity is an assurance for adaptation to changing environmental conditions, an indication for adaptation potential of the species and an important part of the ecosystem stability. Also genetic diversity is a raw material for tree improvement studies. As such, most of the researches about the genetic diversity are in high priority in forest trees improvement programs (Şevik et al., 2010a, 2010b).

Genetic variation is the fundamental component, which ensures survival and thus the stability of forest ecosystems as its quantity and quality determines the potential of population to adapt the changing in environmental condition. This is particularly important with changing population and climatic condition and when the long-term stability of forest ecosystems is increasingly threatened by environmental stress. Thus, a genetic characterization of natural forest resources is the first step necessary for a better understanding of genetic resources for implementation of insitu and exsitu conservation activities (Şevik, 2010; Turna et al., 2006; Şevik et al. 2010a).

Up to now, in Turkey, studies about genetic diversity of the main forest trees have been concentrated on pine species, neglecting other main forest tree species. Turkish fir is among the one of the neglected species.

Turkish fir (*Abies nordmannianan* subsp. *bornmülleriana*) has a special importance for Turkey because of its increasing economic value in marketplace and decorative characteristic in landscape architecture. Furthermore, being an endemic species for Turkey, very decorative species, for this reason the species is the most widely preferred Noel tree in the world (Şevik et al, 2011). Turkish fir is distributed from Kzlrmak River to Mount Uludağ in Western Blacksea region, particularly in Ayanck, Ilgaz Mountains, Bolu Seben Mountains, Boyabat-Göktepe forests, Abant and Mount Uludağ. Stands of fir species occupy roughly 600.000 ha at Turkey (Anonymous, 2006).

The objectives of this study were to investigate the Genetic diversity among Turkish fir populations in Turkey, and determine the extent of between population variation, using 13 different morphological characters.
