We developed microsatellites for Manilkara multifida for future conservation genetics studies. M. multifida is a tropical tree that is endemic to Brazil which is currently restricted to fragmented landscapes. Our analysis indicated that all eight microsatellites are promising for assessing population genetics questions in this species.
The Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Bahia, Brazil, contain large tree species that have suffered disturbances in recent decades. Anthropogenic activities have led to a decrease in the population of many tree species and a loss of alleles that can maintain the evolutionary fitness of their populations. This study assessed patterns of genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure, and genetic structure among Manilkara multifida Penn. populations, comparing the genetic parameters of adult and juvenile trees. In particular, we collected leaves from adults and juveniles of M. multifida in two protected areas, the Veracel Station (EVC) and the Una Biological Reserve (UBR), located in threatened Atlantic Forest fragments. We observed a substantial decay in genetic variability between generations in both areas i.e., adults’ HO values were higher (EVC = 0.720, UBR = 0.736) than juveniles’ (EVC = 0.463 and UBR = 0.560). Both juveniles and adults showed genetic structure between the two areas (θ = 0.017 for adults and θ = 0.109 for juveniles). Additionally, forest fragments indicated an unexpectedly short gene flow. Our results, therefore, highlight the pervasive effects of historical deforestation and other human disturbances on the genetic diversity of M. multifida populations within a key conservation region of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot.
Manilkara maxima is an endemic tree species of the Atlantic Forest in southern Bahia, Brazil. It is considered important for forest conservation due to its mutualistic interactions with endemic and endangered animals. Our aim was to develop microsatellite markers to estimate genetic diversity in order to provide information for effectiveness of future conservation programs. We used next generation sequencing technology to develop the first specific microsatellite markers for M. maxima. Seventeen new microsatellite loci were applied in 72 individuals sampled in three natural populations. On average, the number of alleles per loci was 8.8. The expected heterozygosity varied between 0.72 and 0.77, indicating that the developed set of molecular markers is useful for genetic diversity studies. Additionally, the estimated value for the combined probability of exclusion (Q) was greater than 0.999, which indicates the powerful of these molecular tools for paternity and kinship analysis. Our results demonstrate that the set of microsatellites developed in this work is a powerful tool for population genetics, molecular ecology and conservation biology purposes.
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