Actinorhizal trees and shrubs from Africa: distribution, conservation and uses

Ribeiro‐Barros, Ana I.; Catarino, Sílvia; Moura, Isabel; Ramalho, José C.; Romeiras, Maria M.; Ghodhbane‐Gtari, Faten

doi:10.1007/s10482-018-1174-x

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…www.nature.com/scientificreports/ poorly understood 31,32 and many natural populations may be at risk. Current exploitation rates, often in tandem with other pressures like fire, invasive species, browsing and land transformation, threaten wild populations unless management methods are established, including community-based approaches 17,21,30 .…”

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confidence: 99%

The genetic legacy of fragmentation and overexploitation in the threatened medicinal African pepper-bark tree, Warburgia salutaris

Senkoro

Talhinhas

Simões

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The pepper-bark tree (Warburgia salutaris) is one of the most highly valued medicinal plant species worldwide. Native to southern Africa, this species has been extensively harvested for the bark, which is widely used in traditional health practices. Illegal harvesting coupled with habitat degradation has contributed to fragmentation of populations and a severe decline in its distribution. Even though the species is included in the IUCN Red List as Endangered, genetic data that would help conservation efforts and future re-introductions are absent. We therefore developed new molecular markers to understand patterns of genetic diversity, structure, and gene flow of W. salutaris in one of its most important areas of occurrence (Mozambique). In this study, we have shown that, despite fragmentation and overexploitation, this species maintains a relatively high level of genetic diversity supporting the existence of random mating. Two genetic groups were found corresponding to the northern and southern locations. Our study suggests that, if local extinctions occurred in Mozambique, the pepper-bark tree persisted in sufficient numbers to retain a large proportion of genetic diversity. Management plans should concentrate on maintaining this high level of genetic variability through both in and ex-situ conservation actions.

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confidence: 99%

The genetic legacy of fragmentation and overexploitation in the threatened medicinal African pepper-bark tree, Warburgia salutaris

Senkoro

Talhinhas

Simões

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…This feature is particularly significant when information on the threat status of a species is insufficient [42] as is the case of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes, whose conservation status is available for a minority of species (Table 1) [43]. Such a trend was also found for other tree lineages endemic from Africa such as the nitrogen-fixing actinorhizal trees and shrubs [44]. This issue is of upmost importance within the context of the Bonn Challenge under which many countries have pledged to restore millions of degraded and deforested woodlands and forests [45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversification of African Tree Legumes in Miombo–Mopane Woodlands

Maquia

Catarino

Pena

et al. 2019

Plants

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The southern African Miombo and Mopane ecoregions constitute a unique repository of plant diversity whose diversification and evolutionary history is still understudied. In this work, we assessed the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes within the Zambezian phytoregion. Data were retrieved from several plant and gene databases and phylogenetic analyses were performed based on genetic barcodes. Seventy-eight species (74 from Miombo and 23 from Mopane, 19 common to both ecoregions) have been scored. Species diversity was high within both ecoregions, but information about the actual conservation status is scarce and available only for ca. 15% of the species. Results of phylogenetic analyses were consistent with current legume classification but did not allow us to draw any conclusion regarding the evolutionary history of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes. Future studies are proposed to dissect the diversity and structure of key species in order to consolidate the network of conservation areas.

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“…The genus Frankia has a wide distribution from almost all the continents of Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe that accommodate root nodules of approximately 25 dicotyledonous trees across three taxonomic orders, viz. Cucurbitales, Fagales, and Rosales, commonly known as FaCuRo [11,43–46]. Their inhabitancies are known to occur in a diverse range of climatic zones and ecosystems, that particularly include the alpine ( Alnus spp.…”

Section: Occurrence and Diversity Of Diazotrophic Actinorhizal Micros...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Paradigms of actinorhizal symbiosis under the regime of global climatic changes: New insights and perspectives

Chetri¹,

Rahman

Thomas

et al. 2022

J Basic Microbiol

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Nitrogen occurs as inert and inaccessible dinitrogen gaseous form (N2) in the atmosphere. Biological nitrogen fixation is a chief process that makes this dinitrogen (N2) accessible and bioavailable in the form of ammonium (NH4+) ions. The key organisms to fix nitrogen are certain prokaryotes, called diazotrophs either in the free‐living form or establishing significant mutual relationships with a variety of plants. On such examples is ~95–100 MY old incomparable symbiosis between dicotyledonous trees and a unique actinobacterial diazotroph in diverse ecosystems. In this association, the root of the certain dicotyledonous tree (~25 genera and 225 species) belonging to three different taxonomic orders, Fagales, Cucurbitales, and Rosales (FaCuRo) known as actinorhizal trees can host a diazotroph, Frankia of order Frankiales. Frankia is gram‐positive, branched, filamentous, sporulating, and free‐living soil actinobacterium. It resides in the specialized, multilobed, and coralloid organs (lateral roots but without caps), the root nodules of actinorhizal tress. This review aims to provide systematic information on the distribution and the phylogenetic diversity of hosts from FaCuRo and their micro‐endosymbionts (Frankia spp.), colonization mechanisms, and signaling pathways. We also aim to provide details on developmental and physiological imperatives for gene regulation and functional genomics of symbiosis, phenomenal restoration ecology, influences of contemporary global climatic changes, and anthropogenic impacts on plant–Frankia interactions for the functioning of ecosystems and the biosphere.

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Actinorhizal trees and shrubs from Africa: distribution, conservation and uses

Cited by 14 publications

References 49 publications

The genetic legacy of fragmentation and overexploitation in the threatened medicinal African pepper-bark tree, Warburgia salutaris

The genetic legacy of fragmentation and overexploitation in the threatened medicinal African pepper-bark tree, Warburgia salutaris

Diversification of African Tree Legumes in Miombo–Mopane Woodlands

Paradigms of actinorhizal symbiosis under the regime of global climatic changes: New insights and perspectives

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