Integrating DNA Barcoding and Traditional Taxonomy for the Identification of Dipterocarps in Remnant Lowland Forests of Sumatra.

Carina Carneiro De Melo Moura,Iskandar Z Siregar,Kevin Jair Hernandez Bado,Sri Sudarmiyati Tjitrosoedirdjo,Fabian Brambach,Oliver Gailing,Konstantin V Krutovsky,Holger Kreft

doi:10.3390/plants8110461

Abstract

DNA barcoding has been used as a universal tool for phylogenetic inferences and diversity assessments, especially in poorly studied species and regions. The aim of this study was to contrast morphological taxonomy and DNA barcoding, using the three frequently used markers matK, rbcL, and trnL-F, to assess the efficiency of DNA barcoding in the identification of dipterocarps in Sumatra, Indonesia. The chloroplast gene matK was the most polymorphic among these three markers with an average interspecific genetic distance of 0.020. The results of the molecular data were mostly in agreement with the morphological identification for the clades of Anthoshorea, Hopea, Richetia, Parashorea, and Anisoptera, nonetheless these markers were inefficient to resolve the relationships within the Rubroshorea group. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenies identified Shorea as a paraphyletic genus, Anthoshorea appeared as sister to Hopea, and Richetia was sister to Parashorea. A better discriminatory power among dipterocarp species provided by matK and observed in our study suggests that this marker has a higher evolutionary rate than the other two markers tested. However, a combination of several different barcoding markers is essential for reliable identification of the species at a lower taxonomic level.

Highlights

The Dipterocarpaceae family consists of approximately 680 species that are commonly placed in the two subfamilies, Monotoideae (~30 species in Africa and Madagascar, and the monotypic Pseudomonotes in Colombia) and Dipterocarpoideae, which hold the majority of species and are confined to the eastern tropics from India to New Guinea [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The matK marker was efficient to identify samples at species level for the specimens belonging to the groups Anthoshorea, Hopea, Richetia, and Parashorea
The joint use of DNA barcoding markers rbcL and matK is a reliable tool for identification of land plants from Sumatra, Indonesia and the addition of further markers, such as the trnL-F marker, provide better node support of the lineages

Summary

Introduction

The Dipterocarpaceae family consists of approximately 680 species that are commonly placed in the two subfamilies, Monotoideae (~30 species in Africa and Madagascar, and the monotypic Pseudomonotes in Colombia) and Dipterocarpoideae, which hold the majority of species and are confined to the eastern tropics from India to New Guinea [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Members of the Dipterocarpoideae dominate the diverse rainforests of Sundaland, often with many co-occurring species [7]. Due to their high abundance, mechanical wood-properties, and tall stature, they provide some of the most valued and abundant sources of tropical hardwood, and at the same time are significant stores of aboveground carbon [8]. Dipterocarps are of great ecological and economic importance [6], and understanding their diversity is necessary to advance our general knowledge of Southeast Asian rainforests. For effective conservation of the threatened species and genetic diversity of the Dipterocarpaceae, it is important to understand their species-level taxonomy as well as their origin and the evolutionary processes that have led to the astonishing diversity of the family

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Discussion

Conclusion