Abstract
Risk of genetic vulnerability and aspects of the reproductive biology of Psychotria ipecacuanha (Rubiaceae), a threatened medicinal plant species of Brazilian forests
Highlights
Genetic erosion can be defined as a permanent reduction in the richness or regularity of local alleles, or the loss of combinations of these alleles in a given area, over the course of time, resulting in a loss of evolutionary potential and a reduction in the direct use of plant and population genetic resources (Maxted et al 2002).The rate of species loss far exceeds the origin of new species, and unlike the mass extinctions of species in the past, those occurring currently are mainly results of human activities (Kideghesho et al 2005)
Based on ecological conditions and habitat requirements for species conservation, our objective was to test the hypothesis that the intensity of anthropogenic disturbance can influence the isopleth, floral morphometry, pollen viability, and population size of four natural Ipeca populations in the southwest region of Mato Grosso, Brazil
All populations were found in shaded areas within the forest fragments, on acid, clayey soils rich in organic matter
Summary
Genetic erosion can be defined as a permanent reduction in the richness or regularity of local alleles, or the loss of combinations of these alleles in a given area, over the course of time, resulting in a loss of evolutionary potential and a reduction in the direct use of plant and population genetic resources (Maxted et al 2002).The rate of species loss far exceeds the origin of new species, and unlike the mass extinctions of species in the past, those occurring currently are mainly results of human activities (Kideghesho et al 2005). Psychotria ipecacuanha occurs in Central America (e.g., Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica), South America (Colombia), part of the Brazilian Amazon (states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso), and the Atlantic Forest (mainly in the states of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais) (Skorupa & Assis 1998; Assis & Giulietti 1999). In their natural environment, Ipecas are rarely found as isolated plants, and tend to grow in circular or elliptical clusters
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