Trujillo et al. 2012 (Conference Paper) Mexico

Harvesting impact on Genetic Diversity of a Bromeliad from Oaxaca

Author(s):—S.. Trujillo A., R.F. Castillo & Z.G. Ocampo

Publication:— (2012).

Abstract:—Several exotic plants are collected and sold in the markets for religious festivities in Central Oaxaca. Catopsis berteroniana (Schult. & Schult. f.) Mez, an epiphytic bromeliad, classified in the Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM-059-ECOL-2001) as a species that requires special protection, is one of them. In order to address the impact of harvesting on this species on its genetic diversity, two populations were studied in a disturbed oak forest of Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, Oaxaca, México, where settlers usually collect them. Starch electrophoresis technique was used for the genetic analysis and tested for a recent bottleneck using the model of Luikart and Cornuet 1998. Contrary to our expectations, C. berteroniana displayed one of the highest levels of genetic diversity in the family. Nine out of the ten loci analyzed were polymorphic, the mean number of alleles per locus was 3.4 and mean observed heterozygosity was 0.402 vs. expected heterozygosity of 0.292. Although we calculate a Fis value of 0.256 showing a small endogamy among populations, the two populations studied were not genetically differentiated (Fst 0.021). We did not find evidence of recent bottleneck despite the high levels of forest fragmentation and collection. It seems the degree of harvesting on the populations studied nowadays has not a negative effect on the genetic diversity of this species.