Development of microsatellite markers in white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica)

Betula platyphylla var.japonica is a typical pioneer tree species in the secondary succession in northern Japan. We describe the cloning and characterization of 13 polymorphic, codominant microsatellite loci isolated from this species. These polymorphic loci had 2-8 alleles per locus and a range of expected heterozygosities from 0.050 to 0.808.