Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) together with the sister species Siberian spruce (P. obovata Ledeb.) form a vast continuous distribution over Eurasia. The present distribution of P. abies in Europe was formed recently, after the last glacial maximum. Theories about the colonization routes and history of this species differ depending on the datasets examined to date. This thesis aims to investigate the genetic structure and diversity of P. abies and establish its glacial refugia and postglacial migration. A range-wide sampling was performed of both P. abies and P. obovata, and a genotyping-by-sequencing approach was used to obtain whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Two major genetic lineages of P. abies were found; northern and central Europe. The northern lineage was further divided into a Scandinavian and a north-east European cluster; the Scandinavian cluster being more closely related to P. obovata and the north-east European cluster to the central European lineage. Introgression from P. obovata was detected far into northern Fennoscandia. The central European lineage was divided into an Alpine and a Carpathian cluster, originating from different glacial refugia. Genetic diversity was higher in the northern part of the range, which can be attributed to the relatively large refugium that recolonized this area, as well as introgression from P. obovata. Genetic diversity was also somewhat elevated where the two central European clusters meet, as is expected in areas where two previously isolated lineages admix. This study is the first range-wide investigation of P. abies using whole-genome SNP information, and shows how the genetic structure of the species has been shaped by the last glacial maximum and postglacial recolonization.

The presented study tries to reveal the evolutionary history of polyploid complex Galium pusillum aiming on a rare czech endemic species G. sudeticum, an ideal model to study allopatric speciation in the context of Central European (post)glacial development. The species G. sudeticum grows in Krkonose Mts. and on serpentines in western Bohemia (Slavkovský les) more than 200 kilometers away. Our morphological and molecular data suggest a clearly different history of its two isolated areas. The populations in Krkonose Mts. are probable relics of mountainous species G. anisophyllon which was there on its northern border of occurence and hybridized with lowland species G. valdepilosum during postglacial vegetations shifts. This fact is well supported by intermediate position of Krkonose Mts. populations in both morphological and molecular AFLP analyses and by sharing the same chloroplast haplotype with geographically close lowland populations. On the other hand the serpentine lowland populations in western Bohemia are both morphologicaly and genetically indistinguishable from G. valdepilosum. Distinct genetic lineage of few populations belonging to G. valdepilosum (incl. one traditionaly referred as G. sudeticum) was found in western Bohemia and Bavaria, located on relic stands (calcareous and serpentine...