Genetic analysis of the dry forest timber tree Sideroxylon capiri in Costa Rica using AFLP

Sideroxylon capiri (“Tempisque”) is a threatened and economically important timber species in the dry forest of Costa Rica. To assess the extent of the genetic diversity between and within populations of this species, 86 samples were obtained from four sites in the northwestern part of the country from protected and non-protected areas. They were analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism. Five primers were used to generate 254 polymorphic bands. Molecular variance indicated a 92 % within locations with a PhiPT (φ st) of 0.083 and a He from 0.204 to 0.249. PCoA analysis showed two different groups: one formed by Palo Verde and La Cruz samples, and another group with Nicoya and Barra Honda samples. The dendrogram arranged the samples in three groups: individuals from Palo Verde and La Cruz divided in two groups, and a more compact group from Barra Honda and Nicoya. A positive correlation between pairwise linearized geographical distance and genetic differentiation among populations was detected by Mantel test (R 2 = 0.76241, P = 0.04). Results are discussed in terms of fragmentation of the continuous forests and geographical barriers. Despite these results, it is evident that a great genetic diversity exists for this species and the results can be used for conservation purposes.Universidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa RicaConsejo Nacional para Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas/[]/CONICIT/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de QuímicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biologí