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Title: Genetic diversity and differentiation of the Critically Endangered Hispaniolan palm Coccothrinax jimenezii M.M. Mejía & M.M. García based on novel SSR markers

Author
item JESTROW, BRETT - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
item PEGUERO, BRIGIDO - Jardín Botánico Nacional
item JIMENEZ, FRANCISCO - Jardín Botánico Nacional
item CINE, WILLIAM - Jardín Botánico Nacional
item HASS, MICHAEL - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
item REEVE, ANDREW - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Submitted to: Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The palm species Coccothrinax jimenezii is a Critically Endangered species restricted to two populations from Haiti (one site on coastal areas near the city of Gonaïves with 43 individuals) and the Dominican Republic (one site on the shores of Lago Enriquillo with 18 individuals). The species faces two major conservation challenges: (1) water level rise in the hypersaline Lago Enriquillo and (2) overexploitation of leaves for making brooms in Haiti. Six SSR microsatellite loci were used to access levels of genetic variation and the genetic structure of these two populations. Despite their reduced population sizes, only the Gonaïves site had loci that deviated from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium (2 loci). Both populations exhibited a relatively large number of private alleles (13 in Lago Enriquillo and 14 in Gonaïves) and did not show evidence of genetic bottlenecks. Inbreeding was much larger in Gonaïves than in Lago Enriquillo. We detected high genetic differentiation among these sites suggesting that additional taxonomic studies are needed to determine if individuals from these two sites should receive recognition as belonging to two different taxa. Because of these taxonomic uncertainties we recommend not to move individuals between sites in future restoration or in situ conservation activities involving this species. This is the first study to use SSR markers to address population genetic questions within Coccothrinax.

Technical Abstract: The palm species Coccothrinax jimenezii M.M. Mejía & M.M. García is a Critically Endangered species (sensu IUCN) restricted to two populations from Haiti (one site on coastal areas near the city of Gonaïves with 43 individuals) and the Dominican Republic (one site on the shores of Lago Enriquillo with 18 individuals). The species faces two major conservation challenges: (1) water level rise in the hypersaline Lago Enriquillo and (2) overexploitation of leaves for making brooms in Haiti. Six SSR microsatellite loci were used to access levels of genetic variation and the genetic structure of these two populations. Despite their reduced population sizes, only the Gonaïves site had loci that deviated from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium (2 loci). Both populations exhibited a relatively large number of private alleles (13 in Lago Enriquillo and 14 in Gonaïves) and did not show evidence of genetic bottlenecks. Inbreeding coefficients were much larger in Gonaïves (FIS = 0.232) than in Lago Enriquillo (FIS = 0.093). We detected high genetic differentiation among these sites (FST = 0.497) suggesting that additional taxonomic studies are needed to determine if individuals from these two sites should receive recognition as belonging to two different taxa. Because of these taxonomic uncertainties we recommend not to translocate individuals between sites in future restoration or in situ conservation activities involving this species. This is the first study to use SSR markers to address population genetic questions within Coccothrinax.