%0 Journal Article
%T Using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA to Assess Genetic Diversity and Structure of Natural Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) Populations in Riparian Forests
%A Evania Galv£¿o Mendon£¿a
%A Anderson Marcos de Souza
%A F¨¢bio de Almeida Vieira
%A Regiane Abjaud Estopa
%A Cristiane Aparecida Fioravante Reis
%A Dulcin¨¦ia de Carvalho
%J International Journal of Forestry Research
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/305286
%X The objective of this study was to assess the genetic variability in two natural populations of Calophyllum brasiliense located along two different rivers in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using RAPD molecular markers. Eighty-two polymorphic fragments were amplified using 27 primers. The values obtained for Shannon index ( ) were 0.513 and 0.530 for the populations located on the margins of the Rio Grande and Rio das Mortes, respectively, demonstrating the high genetic diversity in the studied populations. Nei¡¯s genetic diversity ( ) was 0.341 for the Rio Grande population and 0.357 for the Rio das Mortes population. These results were not significantly different between populations and suggest a large proportion of heterozygote individuals within both populations. AMOVA showed that 70.42% of the genetic variability is found within populations and 29.58% is found among populations ( ). The analysis of kinship coefficients detected the existence of family structures in both populations. Average kinship coefficients between neighboring individuals were 0.053 ( ) in Rio das Mortes and 0.040 ( ) in Rio Grande. This could be due to restricted pollen and seed dispersal and the history of anthropogenic disturbance in the area. These factors are likely to contribute to the relatedness observed among these genotypes. 1. Introduction Of all the ecosystems that constitute the Brazilian Semideciduous Forests, riparian forests contribute significantly to the conservation of biodiversity, mainly due to the relationship between ecological corridors and ecosystem functioning [1]. Because of their interconnectedness, riparian forests play a central role in biogeographical and evolutionary shifts as they facilitate seed dispersal [2]. In Brazil, even though riparian forests are protected by law in the Forest Code (Law 4.771 of 1965), these environments suffer the consequences of human activity, mainly resulting from fragmentation and degradation. The reduction of population sizes and the isolation of populations are direct consequences of anthropogenic activities, resulting in inbreeding and genetic drift [3, 4]. Understanding the distribution of genetic variability of tree populations in these areas is fundamental in management programs aimed at conservation and the survival of riparian forest species. There are a large number of tree species that occur in riparian forests and as such the choice of the target species for genetic and ecological studies is crucial. Among them, Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. (Clusiaceae), a Neotropical tree commonly known as ¡°guanandi,¡±
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/2014/305286/