avainkannan
Avainkanta is a Finnish term used in biology, breeding, forestry and related fields to denote the core or founder population that serves as a baseline for a program. The word combines avain, meaning “key,” with kanta, meaning “stock,” “line,” or “base.” The genitive form avainkannan refers to the key population or the characteristics of that population.
In breeding programs, avainkanta refers to the group of individuals selected to establish the genetic basis
In conservation genetics and population studies, avainkanta can function as a reference or baseline against which
See also: founder population, core collection, reference population, genetic resource management.