Genetic insights into ecology and conservation of Pinus gerardiana (chilgoza pine) a threatened species of north western himalayas – a review

Pinus gerardiana, commonly known as chilgoza pine, is an invaluable species of pine native to the northwestern Himalayas. This evergreen species is highly valuable for its edible seeds (chilgoza nuts), which have significant nutritional characteristics and economic benefits for local communities. It is renowned for its slow growth and longevity in its ecosystem, thus making it crucial for maintaining the ecological balance and supporting biodiversity. P. gerardiana appears to be a distinctive species that is phylogenetically related to P. bungeana. Owing to climate change and its overexploitation, its genetic diversity has decreased, leading to its inclusion in the Near Threatened category in the IUCN Red List of threatened species. As P. gerardiana regenerates solely through seeds in nature, its low germinability leads to poor regeneration; therefore, rapid action is needed for the conservation of its germplasm. Different in situ and ex situ conservation approaches have been utilized. The use of molecular marker systems for phylogenetic as well as genetic diversity studies could provide major assistance for its conservation as well as expansion. A limited number of studies using markers such as isoenzymes, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs), simple sequence repeats (SSRs), start codon targeted polymorphism marker (SCoTs) and inter-primer binding site (iPBS) have been conducted. However, there is a great scope for genetic diversity studies utilizing more P. gerardiana specific advanced marker systems, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and gene-specific markers. Furthermore, the application of new omic approaches such as proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, phenomics and ionomics will provide more insights into the morphological, physiological, nutritional and biochemical aspects of this critical species.