GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ARARY (CALOPHYLLUM BRASILIENSE CAMBESS.): AN ENDANGERED FOREST TREE POPULATION FROM SAN IGNACIO, MISIONES - ARGENTINA

BICH G. A.; PERCUOCO, CECILIA; RODRIGUEZ M.; CARDOZO A.; CRISCI J.; ARGUELLES, CARINA

Vina del Mar

Congreso; XIV CONGRESO LATINOAMERICANO DE GENÉTICA (ALAG) VIII CONGRESO DE LA ASOCIACIÓN LATINOAMERICANA DE MUTAGÉNESIS, CARCINOGÉNESIS Y TERATOGÉNESIS AMBIENTAL (ALAMCTA) XLIII CONGRESO DE LA SOCIEDAD DE GENÉTICA DE CHILE (SOCHIGEN) XXXIX CONGRESO DE LA SOCIEDAD A; 2010

C. brasiliense is a medium-sized tree, which grows exclusively in riparian forest. There are only 3 populations of arary in Argentina that are the remnants of a larger former distribution, which has been severely fragmented by human activities. We know that an effective conservation strategy for a species can be made only after diversity characterization and once population genetic information becomes available.The aim of the present work was to achieve a molecular characterization of the genetic diversity of arary's population from San Ignacio through RAPDs markers. We sampled 31 trees. 20 primers were screened and the bands were scored as present or absent. A matrix was assembled and analyzed using GenAlEx. 3 primers were selected because they generated 51 distinct bands. The percentage of polymorphic loci was 96%, nevertheless the expected heterozygosity was about 0,3. The low diversity occurring is likely to be a consequence of habitat fragmentation that caused genetic drift and limitedgene flow. These results will contribute to a better understanding of the genetic profile of this population and then they could be used to develop strategies for its conservation.