Population Genetic Structure of Neotropical Mangrove Species on the Colombian Pacific Coast: Avicennia germinans (Avicenniaceae)

Authors: Cerón-Souza, Ivania; Toro-Perea, Nelson; Cárdenas-Henao, Heiber

Source: Biotropica, Volume 37, Number 2, June 2005 , pp. 258-265(8)

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Abstract:

We investigated the genetic variation of Avicennia germinans using 172 AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) bands of 45 plants from four localities on the Colombian Pacific coast: 11 from Virudó (Chocó), 10 from La Plata (Valle), 12 from Tumaco (Nariño), and 12 from Chontal (Nariño). AFLP variation among localities (16.2%) was highly significant (AMOVA; P < 0.0001). All the analyses showed that Tumaco was the most genetically distinct locality of the four under study. The other three localities, La Plata, Virudó, and Chontal, apparently form a large single subpopulation with high-to-moderate gene flow among localities. We also found the genetic diversity of A. germinans on the Colombian Pacific coast (H_E= 0.251) higher than that estimated by others over the broad geographic range of A. germinans. All these results together show that mangroves on the Colombian Pacific coast deserve a strong investigative effort to improve our ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographic knowledge of this important tropical forest type.

Keywords: AFLP; Avicennia germinans; black mangrove; Colombia; genetic diversity; Pacific coast; population genetic structure

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2005.00035.x

Affiliations: 1: Sección de Genética, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360. Cali, Colombia

Publication date: 2005-06-01