The licuri palm Syagrus coronata plays a key role in the ecology and economy of Brazilian semiarid region. Nonetheless, genetic data about populations of this species are absent even though the intensive and uncontrolled exploitation since colonial periods has threatened the sustainability and viability of licuri populations. Therefore, we attempted to test the efficacy of transferability of microsatellite loci isolated from three palm tree species to S. coronata to analyze the population of this species throughout their range. A set of 19 heterologous microsatellite loci was tested in three native populations of S. coronata from the State of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, which amplified using distinct annealing temperatures (50°-60°C). Based on the 10 most polymorphic loci, the selected populations exhibited a mean number of alleles per locus of 9.8, and high genetic diversity values since the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.573 to 0.754, while the observed heterozygosity varied from 0.785 to 1.000. In conclusion, the tested loci are transferrable and highly efficient to population studies in S. coronata, thus minimizing the lack of species-specific loci to the genetic monitoring of licuri populations.

Maytenus truncata (Celastraceae) is a plant species widely used in the treatment of ulcers and tumors. Despite the intensive harvest of native specimens in the State of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, there is no information about the genetic variability or structure of this species. Therefore, the goal of this study was to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of M. truncata based on inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. The samples comprised specimens from Jequié, Contendas do Sincorá, Boa Nova, and Boa Vista do Tupim in the State of Bahia. After selection of eight ISSR primers, the percentage of polymorphic loci was equal to 96.2% and genetic diversity was 0.3581. The Mantel test revealed positive correlation among genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.5462), but it was not significant (r ≥ 0, P = 0.8365). Even though AMOVA revealed that most variation was found within populations (68%), a high structuring was detected among them (ΦST = 0.31, P < 0.001). Both UPGMA and Bayesian analyses indicated that gene flow was higher between Jequié and Contendas do Sincorá, whereas samples from Boa Nova and Boa Vista do Tupim were more isolated. This result is likely because of the population decrease and restriction to gene flow associated with intensive extractivism of populations of this species.

Caatinga is the third largest biome in Brazil but little is known about the species diversity from this biotic community, despite of its social, economic and environmental importance for the semiarid region. Among the several typical plant species from Caatinga, Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. (black jurema) stands out because it plays a major role in the maintenance of this ecosystem, besides being widely used to recover degraded areas. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity and structural analysis from 10 populations of M. tenuiflora from the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, using 10 ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) markers. A total of 117 fragments were obtained from 218 individuals with a mean number of 11.8 bands per primer. The mean population polymorphism was 85.0%, while the values of genetic diversity (He) and the Shannon index (I) were equal to 0.295 and 0.442, respectively. Most of genetic variation was observed (87.0%) but high FST values were observed (0.132), indicating the populations are genetically differentiated. Bayesian inference using Structure divided the populations into two groups while Geneland indicated five clusters that could be related to the fragmentation of Caatinga and to constraints in the dispersal of pollen and seeds. In conclusion, M. tenuiflora presents high levels of genetic diversity and natural populations might serve as potential sources for management and reforestation of degraded areas in Caatinga.

No abstract