XVI International Botanical Congess

The cluster sampling was used for collection and following allozyme frequency analysis of wild barley populations in Israel. This approach is preferred for the species with restricted seed and pollen dispersal and thus likely to be isolated and/or locally adapted. Four clusters each represented by 5 populations were collected along longitudinal gradient of Israel in the following separated by distance environments: desert, semi-steppic batha, Mediterranean open park forest and mountain. Our results show the hierarchical metapopulation structure of wild barley distribution in Israel: the population assemblages were distinct and interpopulation variability apparently resulted from interplay of both gene flow and selective process.