Spatial genetic structure and genetic diversity of a natural population of Ramorinoa girolae in San Juan province (Argentina): An exploratory analysis

Noelia R. Ortiz; Stella M. Giannoni; Rosalía C. Paz

doi:10.25260/EA.18.28.3.0.604

Authors

Noelia R. Ortiz Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Mendoza, Argentina.
Stella M. Giannoni CIGEOBIO (FCEFN, UNSJ/CONICET). Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan. San Juan, Argentina.
Rosalía C. Paz CIGEOBIO (FCEFN, UNSJ/CONICET). http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3772-9378

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.18.28.3.0.604

Abstract

Ramorinoa girolae Speg. (chica) is an endemic tree species which belongs to the Argentinian xerophyte flora. This species constitutes an appreciated forest resource for local people due to its fruits (a substantial basis of the diet of local communities) and its timber (one of the hardest woods). Moreover, chica was pointed as a vulnerable species because it is a monotypic species with low abundance and a very restricted endemism (San Juan, San Luis and La Rioja provinces). There is limited information concerning the status of genetic diversity of the species. For this, we performed an exploratory analysis to characterize the genetic diversity of a natural population located near Ischigualasto Provincial Park (San Juan, Argentina) using AFLP molecular markers in 19 individuals. The genetic data were correlated with morphometric, ecological and geographical data. Our results suggest that this population exhibited a high genetic diversity (Pj=82.3%). These values also were correlated with geographical matrices, revealing that this population exhibited a particular spatial genetic structure (SGS; Mantel Test r=0.45, P<0.001) and spatial autocorrelation. In addition, values of genetic similarity among the different analyzed individuals revealed the absence of clones, suggesting a signifcant contribution of genetic variability due to sexual reproduction in the studied population.

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.18.28.3.0.604

References

Acebes, P., J. Traba, B. Peco, M. L. Reus, S. M. Giannoni, and J. E. Malo. 2010. Abiotic gradients drive floristic composition and structure of plant communities in the Monte Desert. Rev Chil Hist Nat 83:395-407.

Aggarwal, R., V. Shenoy, J. Ramadevi, R. Rajkumar, and L. Singh. 2002. Molecular characterization of some Indian Basmati and other elite rice individuals using fluorescent-AFLP. Theor Appl Genet 105:680-690. DOI: 10.1007/s00122-002-0973-6.

Aguirre-Acosta, N., J. D., Palacio-Mejía, D. J., Barrios-Leal, and J. E. Botero-Echeverry. 2013. Diversity and genetic structure of the monotypic genus Colombobalanus (Fagaceae) in Southeast of Colombian Andeans. Caldasia 35(1):123-133.

Álvarez J. A., P. Villagra, M. A. Cony, E. M. Cesca, and J. A. Boninsegna. 2006. Estructura y estado de conservación de los bosques de Prosopis flexuosa D.C. (Fabaceae, subfamilia: Mimosoideae) en el noreste de Mendoza (Argentina). Rev Chil Hist Nat 79:75-87.

Banks, S. C., and R. Peakall. 2012. Genetic spatial autocorrelation can readily detect sex-biased dispersal. Mol Ecol. 21(9):2092-105. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05485.x.

Bassam, B. J., and G. Caetano-Anollés. 1993. Silver staining of DNA in polyacrylamide gels. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 42(2-3):181-188.

Beharav, A., M. Maras, M. Kinter, J. Šuštar-Vozlič, G. L. Sun, I. Doležalová, A. Lebeda, and V. Meglič. 2010. Comparison of three genetic similarity coefficients based on dominant markers from predominantly self-pollinating species. Biologia Plantarum 54(1):54-60.

Bérgamo De Souza, L., E. Ruas, L. Rodrigues, C. Ruas, and P. Ruas. 2013. AFLP marker analysis revealing genetic structure of the tree Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae) in the southern Brazilian Tropical Rainforest. Genetics and Molecular Biology, 36(4):533-539. Sociedade Brasileira de Genética. Brazil.

Brown, A., U. Martínez Ortiz, M. Acerbi, and J. F. Corcuera. 2006. La situación ambiental argentina 2005. Fundación Vida Silvestre, Buenos Aires.

Campos, V. E., and S. M. Giannoni. 2013. Habitat selection by the viscacha rat (Octomys mimax, Rodentia: Octodontidae) in a spatially heterogeneous landscape. Mammalia 78(2):223-227.

Campos, V. E., V. Fernández Maldonado, P. Balmaceda, and S. M. Giannoni. 2017. Richness of plants, birds and mammals under the canopy of an endemic and vulnerable desert tree species. Revista Bosque 38(2):307-316. DOI: 10.4067/S0717-92002017000200008.

Cardoso, M. A., J. Provan, W. Powell, P. C. Ferreira, and D. E. De Oliveira. 1998. High genetic differentiation among remnant populations of the endangered Caesalpinia echinata Lam. (Leguminoseae-Caesalpinioideae). Molecular Ecology 7:601-608.

Casiva, P. V., B. O. Saidman, J. C. Vilardi, and A. M. Cialdella. 2002. First comparative phenetic studies of Argentinean species of Acacia (Fabaceae), using morphometric, isozymal, and RAPD approaches. Am J Bot 89:843-853.

Di Rienzo, J. A., F. Casanoves, M. G. Balzarini, L. González, M. Tablada, and C. W. Robledo. InfoStat versión 2017. Grupo InfoStat, FCA, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. URL: www.infostat.com.ar.

Dice, L. R. 1945. Measures of the amount of ecological association between species. Ecology 26:297-307.

Dodd, R. S., W. Mayer, A. Nettel, and Z. Afzal-Rafii. 2013. Clonal growth and fine-scale genetic structure in tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus: Fagaceae). The Journal of Heredity 104(1):105-14. DOI: 10.1093/jhered/ess080.

Doyle, J. J., and J. L. Doyle. 1987. A rapid DNA isolation procedure for small quantities of fresh leaf tissue. Phytochemical Bulletin 19:11-15.

Farnsworth, E. J., S. Klionsky, W. E. Brumback, and K. Havens. 2006. A set of simple decision matrices for prioritizing collection of rare plant species for ex situ conservation. Biological Conservation 128:1-12. DOI: 10.1016/j. biocon.2005.09.010.

Femenía, J., and A. Giménez De Bolzón. 1992. Ramorinoa girolae: una especie leñosa xerofítica. Actas I Jornadas de Ciencia y Técnica del NOA.

Femenía, J., and T. López. 2004. Chicales de Prepuna del Valle Vilgo-Paganzo, La Rioja, Argentina. URL: www.revistaciencias.com/publicaciones [visited in 05/24/2013]

Finger, A., C. Kettle, C. Kaiser-Bunbury, T. Valentin, J. Mougal, and J. Ghazoul. 2012. Forest Fragmentation genetics in a formerly widespread island endemic tree: Vateriopsis seychellarum (Dipterocarpaceae). Molecular Ecology 21:2369-2382.

Frankham, R., H. Manning, S. H. Margan, and D. A. Briscoe. 2000. Does equalization of family sizes reduce genetic adaptation to captivity? Anim Conserv 3:357-363.

Gliddon, C., E. Belhassen, and P. H. Gouyon. 1987. Genetic neighborhoods in plants with diverse systems of mating and different patterns of growth. Heredity 59:29-32.

González-Astorga, J., and G. Castillo-Campos. 2004. Genetic variability of the narrow endemic tree Antirhea aromatica Castillo-Campos and Lorence (Rubiaceae, Guettardeae) in a tropical forest of Mexico. Annals of Botany 93:521-528.

Gutiérrez J. R., and F. A. Squeo. 2004. Importancia de los arbustos en los ecosistemas semiáridos de Chile. Ecosistemas 13(1):36-45.

Hadad, M., M. Almirón, and J. Scaglia. 2014. Estructura de un bosque de Ramorinoa girolae (Fabaceae), en la Sierra de Pie de Palo, San Juan (Argentina). Bol Soc Argent Bot 49(2):283-292. ISSN: 0373-580 X.

Hamrick, J. L., and M. J. Godt. 1989. Allozyme diversity in plant species. Pp. 43-63 in A. H. Brown, M. T. Clegg, A. L. Kahler and B. S. Wir (eds.). Plant Population Genetics, Breeding and Genetic Resources, Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, United States.

Hidalgo, V. 2013. Conservación in situ de germoplasma silvestre de papa en la reserva natural Villavicencio. Tesis de grado de Ingeniería en Recursos Naturales Renovables. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina. Pp. 300.

Juárez-Muñoz, J., G. Carrillo-Castañeda, R. Arreguín, and A. Rubluo. 2002. Inter and intragenetic variation of four wild populations of Prosopis using RAPD-PCR fingerprints. Biodivers Conserv 11:921-930.

Juchum, F. S., J. B. Leal, L. M. Santos, M. P. Almeida, D. Ahnert, and R. X. Correa. 2007. Evaluation of genetic diversity in a natural rosewood population (Dalbergia nigra Vell. Allemão ex Benth.) using RAPD markers. Genet Mol Res 6:543-553.

Jump, A. S., C. Matyas, and C. Penuelas. 2009. The altitude-for-latitude disparity in the range retractions of woody species. Trends Ecol Evol 24:694-701. DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2009.06.007.

Kiesling, R. 1994. Flora de San Juan, República Argentina. Buenos Aires: Vázquez Mazzini. 6ª Ed. ISBN 950-99063-8-7.

Kirk, H., and J. R. Freeland. 2011. Applications and implications of neutral versus non-neutral markers in molecular ecology. Int J Mol Sci 12:3966-3988. DOI: 10.3390/ijms12063966.

Kremer, A., H. Caron, S. Cavers, N. Colpaert, L. Gheysen, R. Gribel, et al. 2005. Monitoring genetic diversity in tropical trees with multilocus dominant markers. Heredity 95:274-280.

Kumar, M., V. Ponnuswami, C. Rajamanickam, and T. L. Preethi. 2015. Assessment of genetic diversity in tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers. SAARC J Agri 13(1):27-36.

Lacerda, D. R., M. D. P. Acedo, J. P Lemos Filho, and M. B. Lovato. 2001. Genetic diversity and structure of natural populations of Plathymeni reticulate (Mimosoideae), a tropical tree from the Brazilian Cerrado. Mol Ecol 10:1143-1152.

López-Pujol, J., M. Bosch, J. Simon, and C. Blanché. 2002. Allozyme diversity in the tetraploid endemic Thymus loscosii (Lamiaceae). Annals of Botany 93:323-332.

Mantel, N. 1967. The detection of disease clustering and a generalized regression approach. Cancer Research 27:209-220.

Mares, M. A. 1992. Neotropical mammals and the myth of Amazonian biodiversity. Science 255:976-979.

Márquez, J., E. Martínez Carretero, A. Dalmasso, G. Pastrán, and F. Ortiz. 2005. Las áreas protegidas de la provincia de San Juan (Argentina) II. La vegetación del parque provincial Ischigualasto. Multequina 14:1-27.

Martínez Araneda, C., A. C. Premoli, C. Echeverría, P. Thomas, and P. Hechenleitner. 2011. Restricted gene flow across fragmented populations of Legrandia concinna, a threatened Myrtaceae endemic to south-central Chile. Bosque 32(1):30-38.

Medut, H., and A. Clarke. 2007. Almost forgotten or latest practice? AFLP applications, analyses and advances. Plant Sci 12:106-114.

Morello, J. 1958. La provincia fitogeográfica del Monte. Opera Lilloana 2:1-155.

Moreno Vázquez, S. 2001. Conservación y caracterización de recursos filogenéticos: análisis de resultados en la caracterización molecular. Valladolid, España. Ed. Publicaciones INEA. ISBN 84-607-1922-7:253-265.

Murray, M. G. 2002. Current Issues in Biodiversity Conservation. FAO, Rome.

Neel, M. C., and N. Ellstrand. 2003. Conservation of genetic diversity in the endangered plant Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum (Polygonaceae). Conserv Genet 4:337-352.

Nei, M. 1973. Analysis of gene diversity in subdivided populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 70:3321-3.

Papú, S., S. Lagos Silnik, C. M. Campos. 2015. Pre-dispersal seed loss of Ramorinoa girolae (Fabaceae) in Ischigualasto provincial park (San Juan, Argentina). Bol Soc Argent Bot 50(4):585-594.

Paschke, M., C. Abs, and B. Schmid. 2002. Relationship between population size, allozyme variation, and plant performance in the narrow endemic Cochlearia bavarica. Conservation Genetics 3:131-144.

Peakall, R., and P. E. Smouse. 2012. GenAlEx 6.5: genetic analysis in Excel. Population genetic software for teaching and research—an update. Bioinformatics 28(19):2537-2539.

Piotti, A., S. Leonardi, M. Heuerts, J. Buiteveld, T. Geburek, S. Gerber, K. Kramer, C. Vettori, and G. G. Vendramin. 2013. Within-Population Genetic Structure in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Stands characterized by different disturbance histories: does forest management simplify population substructure? PLoS ONE 8(9):e73391. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073391.

PlanEAr. 2008. Plantas Endémicas de la Argentina. URL: www.lista-planear.org [last visited: 05/25/2013].

Pol, R. G., S. R. Camín, and A. A. Astié. 2005. Ecorregiones Monte de Sierras y Bolsones y Monte de Llanuras y Mesetas. Situación ambiental en la ecorregión del Monte. Fundación Vida Silvestre, Buenos Aires. Pp. 227-233.

Ribeiro, R., A. Simoes, J. Pires, and M. Bernadete. 2005. Genetic Variation in Remnant Populations of Dalbergia nigra (Papilionoideae), an Endangered Tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Annals of Botany 95:1171-1177. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mci128.

Rodríguez-Riaño, T., A. Ortega-Olivencia, and J. A. Devesa. 1999. Biología Floral en Fabaceae. 1a ed. Ed. CSIN. Pp. 176. ISBN: 978-84-00-07823-2.

Roig-Juñent, S., G. Flores, S. Claver, G. Debandi, and A. Marvaldi. 2001. Monte Desert (Argentina): insect biodiversity and natural areas. J Arid Environ 47:77-94.

Schierenbeck, K. A., M. Skupski, D. Lieberman, and M. Lieberman. 1997. Population structure and genetic diversity in four tropical tree species in Costa Rica. Mol Ecol 6:137-144.

Spielman, D., B. W. Brook, and R. Frankham. 2004. Most species are not driven to extinction before genetic factors impact them. PNAS 101(42):15261-15264. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0403809101.

Squirrel, J., P. M. Hollingsworth, M. Woodhead, et al. 2003. How much effort is required to isolate nuclear microsatellites from plants? Mol Ecol 12:1339-1348.

Van Dyke, F. 2003. Conservation biology: Foundations, concepts, applications, McGraw-Hill Companies, New York.

Vashishtha, A., T. Jehan, and S. Lakhanpaul. 2013. Genetic diversity and population structure of Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub., a potential medicinal legume tree. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 19(3):389-397. DOI: 10.1007/s12298-013-0170-x.

Villagra, P. E., G. E. Defossé, H. F. Del Valle, S. Tabeni, M. Rostagno, E. Cesca, and E. Abraham. 2009. Land use and disturbance effects on the dynamics of natural ecosystems of the Monte Desert: implications for their management. J Arid Environ 73:202-211.

Vos, P., R. Hogers, M. Blekker, M. Reijans, T. Van de Lee, M. Hornes, A. Frijters, J. Pot, J. Peleman, M. Kuiper, and M. Zabeau. 1995. AFLP: a new technique for DNA fingerprinting. Nucleic Acids Res 11:4407-4414.

Weising, K., H. Nybom, K. Wolff, and W. Meyer. 1995. DNA fingerprinting in plants and fungi. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.

Wiens, J. J. 2016. Climate-Related Local Extinctions Are Already Widespread among Plant and Animal Species. 1-18. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001104.

Wong, A., M. R. Forbes, and M. L. Smith. 2001. Characterization of AFLP markers in damselflies: prevalence of codominant markers and implications for population genetic applications. Genome 44(4):677-84.

Yineger, H., D. J. Schmidt, and J. M. Hughes. 2014. Genetic structuring of remnant forest parches in an endangered medicinal tree in North-western Ethiopia. GMC Genetics 15:31. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-15-31.

Zapata, R. M. 2017. Distribución y caracterización de poblaciones naturales de “chica” (Ramorinoa girolae speg., Fabaceae), especie endémica de argentina, y valoración alimenticia de sus semillas. Doctoral Thesis. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. URL: rdu.unc.edu.ar/handle/11086/5013 [last visited: 04/25/2018].