Genetic structure simulation for Hancornia speciosa populations in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Mangaba tree is a fruit tree species whose natural populations are fragmented by anthropic actions. For this reason, studies assessing the impact of fragmentation on the diversity and genetic structure of these populations are required in order to establish suitable conservation strategies. In our study, we used data from analyzes through microsatellite markers in computer simulations to estimate the rates of migration and selfing of six mangaba populations. The studied populations are located in the northeastern states of Ceará, Pernambuco and Sergipe. We tested different selfing and migration rates and selected the combination that showed values of observed and expected heterozygosity closest to those previously obtained with microsatellite markers. According to our simulations, selfing and migration were moderate. This may have led to an increase in inbreeding and genetic drift, resulting in low genetic diversity. We recommend expanding the area and reducing disturbance to promote the occurrence of pollinators, which play an important role in increasing genetic diversity.