Fine-scale analysis reveals a potential influence of forest management on the spatial genetic structure of Eremanthus erythropappus

Lucas Fernandes Rocha,Natália Ribeiro De Paula,Dulcinéia De Carvalho

doi:10.1007/s11676-020-01204-9

Lucas Fernandes Rocha, Natália Ribeiro De Paula + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-020-01204-9

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Abstract

Forest management may have significant effects on forest connectivity and natural population sizes. Harvesting old-growth single trees may also change natural patterns of genetic variation and spatial genetic structure. This study evaluated the impacts of forest management using a silvicultural system of seed trees on the genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish. A complete survey of 275 trees on four plots was undertaken out to compare the genetic variation of a managed stand with an unmanaged stand. We genotyped all adult and juvenile individuals 60 months after the management and compared the genetic diversity and the spatial genetic structure parameters. Genetic diversity was considered high because of an efficient gene flow between stands. There were no genetic differences between stands and no evidence of inbreeding. Genetic clustering identified a single population (K = 1), indicating no genetic differentiation between managed and unmanaged stands. Adult and juvenile individuals of the unmanaged stand were more geographically structured than individuals from the managed one. There was a tendency of coancestry among juveniles at the first class of distance of the managed stand, suggesting a drift of genetic structure possibly caused by management. Understanding early responses to management on genetic diversity and stand structure is a first step to ensuring the effectiveness of conservation practices of tree species. The sustainability of forest management of E. erythropappus on genetic diversity, and more accurately, on spatial genetic structure needs evaluation over time to promote effective conservation of the population size and genetic variability.

Highlights

Sustainable forest management uses appropriate silvicultural techniques to produce different goods and services and simultaneously promotes biodiversity conservation (Petrokofsky et al 2015)
We found a tendency for private alleles in the managed stands (AP = 0.500) and unmanaged stands (AP = 0.167)
Comparison between a managed stand using a silvicultural system of seed trees and an unmanaged stand, 300-m distance from each other, was carried out at the Serra da Mantiqueira Environmental Protected Area (APA Serra da Mantiqueira), Itamonte, Minas Gerais

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable forest management uses appropriate silvicultural techniques to produce different goods and services and simultaneously promotes biodiversity conservation (Petrokofsky et al 2015). Natural regeneration allows for the conservation of genetic information to the generation,. It does not avoid adaptive and non-adaptive changes in genetic structure (Rajora and Pluhar 2003). Due to the fragility of tropical biomes, it is fundamental to analyze their genetic diversity to define strategies of management and conservation, especially for those species whose distribution determined by high altitudes, normally presenting a high risk of extinction (Avise and Hamrick 1996; Brown and Kappelle 2001)

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