Abstract
Limestone karsts of Southeast Asia can harbor high levels of endemism, but are highly fragmented, increasingly threatened, and their biodiversity is often poorly studied. This is true of the Padawan Limestone Area of Sarawak, Malaysia, home to the endemic Artocarpus annulatus, the closest known wild relative of two important and underutilized fruit tree crops, jackfruit (A. heterophyllus) and cempedak (A. integer). Identifying and conserving crop wild relatives is critical for the conservation of crop genetic diversity and breeding. In 2016 and 2017, five A. annulatus populations were located, and leaf material, locality information, and demographic data were collected. Microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic diversity and structure among populations, and to compare levels of genetic diversity to closely related congeneric species. Results indicate no evidence of inbreeding in A. annulatus, and there is no genetic structure among the five populations. However, diversity measures trended lower in seedlings compared to mature trees, suggesting allelic diversity may be under threat in the youngest generation of plants. Also, genetic diversity is lower in A. annulatus compared to closely related congeners. The present study provides a baseline estimate of A. annulatus genetic diversity that can be used for comparison in future studies and to other species in the unique limestone karst ecosystems. Considerations for in situ and ex situ conservation approaches are discussed.
Highlights
How to cite this article Dickinson L, Noble H, Gardner E, Puad ASA, Zakaria WNFW, Zerega NJC. 2020
Limestone karsts of Southeast Asia can harbor high levels of endemism, but are highly fragmented, increasingly threatened, and their biodiversity is often poorly studied. This is true of the Padawan Limestone Area of Sarawak, Malaysia, home to the endemic Artocarpus annulatus, the closest known wild relative of two important and underutilized fruit tree crops, jackfruit (A. heterophyllus) and cempedak (A. integer)
Identifying and conserving crop wild relatives is critical for the conservation of crop genetic diversity and breeding
Summary
How to cite this article Dickinson L, Noble H, Gardner E, Puad ASA, Zakaria WNFW, Zerega NJC. 2020. Leta Dickinson1,*, Hilary Noble2, Elliot Gardner3,4,5, Aida Shafreena Ahmad Puad6, Wan Nuur Fatiha Wan Zakaria6 and Nyree J.C. Zerega1,2,* 1 Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America 2 The Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL, United States of America 3 Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America 4 The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, United States of America 5 Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, Singapore 6 Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia * These authors contributed to this work.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have