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Geographic Influence on Genetic Structure in the Widespread Neotropical Tree Simarouba amara (Simaroubaceae)

Landscape genetic diversity of Simarouba amara

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Abstract

This study aimed to assess the population genetic structure of a widespread Neotropical tree species, Simarouba amara, at local, regional and continental spatial scales. We used five microsatellite loci to examine genetic variation in 14 natural populations (N = 478 individuals) of this vertebrate-dispersed rain forest tree species in Panama, Ecuador, and French Guiana. Estimates of genetic differentiation (F st and R st) were significant among all but one population pair and global differentiation was moderate (F st = 0.25, R st = 0.33) with 94% of genetic variation ascribed to differences among three main geographic regions (Central America, Western Ecuador, Amazon basin). There was no evidence of isolation by distance within regions. Allele-size mutations contributed significantly (R ST > F ST) to the divergences between cis- and trans-Andean populations, highlighting the role of the northern Andean cordilleras as an important geographic barrier for this species.

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Abbreviations

BCI:

Barro Colorado Island

IBD:

Isolation by distance

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

SSR:

Simple sequence repeats

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Mellon Foundation award to support collaboration between Antoine Kremer’s INRA lab BD (for Bernd Degen) and STRI (BDH, CWD and EB). The project was supported by additional funds from the National Science Foundation (SPH and DEB 0640379 to CWD), the International Plant Genetics Resource Institute (IPGRI) (CWD and EB), the Center for Tropical Forest Science and the Garden Club of America (BDH). We thank S. Aguilar, P. Ramos, and H. Mogollón for field assistance, and M. Gonzales and O. Sanjur for laboratory support. Support staff from Estacion Biologica Universidad de San Francisco Quito and Estacion Biologica de Yasuní of the Pontifica Universidad Católica del Ecuador, particularly Hugo Navarette, made field visits to the Amazonian sites possible. Helpful suggestions from S. DeWalt, S. Chang and anonymous referees improved this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Britta Denise Hardesty.

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Communicated by: Ramesh K. Aggarwal

Britta D. Hardesty and Christopher W. Dick contributed equally to analysis and writing

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Hardesty, B.D., Dick, C.W., Hamrick, J.L. et al. Geographic Influence on Genetic Structure in the Widespread Neotropical Tree Simarouba amara (Simaroubaceae). Tropical Plant Biol. 3, 28–39 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12042-010-9044-3

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